


Big Man on Campus

by fanbabble, mythicaliz



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: 1990s, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst but it’s gonna get better, Arguing, Basketball, Body Shots, Coming Out, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dorms, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Time, Forbidden Love, Frottage, Gay Bar, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, I'm dead move, Internalized Homophobia, Jealousy, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Public Blow Jobs, Roommates, Semi-Public Sex, Sharing a Bed, Shower Sex, Strangers, Underage Drinking, Voyeurism, bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-01-24 15:42:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 41,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21340669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanbabble/pseuds/fanbabble, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mythicaliz/pseuds/mythicaliz
Summary: 1996. NC State University. Syme Dorm, Room 24. Two roommates with very different dreams.  One wants to play basketball and make his family proud. The other wants to make movies and explore his new found freedom.  But there’s a problem... there is only one bed!
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 506
Kudos: 331





	1. All Star

**Author's Note:**

> Look we know this premise is ridiculous. We even pulled it from an article on The Onion. But let us relive our 90s youth, ok? Ok. Updates every freshman Friday. Click subscribe to be emailed a notification.

**All Star**

_Hey now, you’re an all-star_

_Get your game on, go play_

_Hey now, you’re a rock star_

_Get the show on, get paid_

\- Smash Mouth (1999)

“Rhett! Rhett! Honey, come downstairs! Phone for you!”

Rhett closed his chemistry text book and took the stairs two at a time. The urgency in his mother's voice let him know it wasn’t just _a_ call. It was _the_ call.

He was about to find out if he’d been offered a basketball scholarship to his dream school. Maintaining his 3.8 GPA during his senior year of highschool had been stressful enough, but as a star basketball player it also meant extra training, impressing talent scouts at his games, and being flown out to universities all over the country to be courted for his talent. But the only school he cared about was NC State, which was just a few hours away from Buies Creek, in Raleigh.

He’d received a few other offers, but none were great. He’d been offered a partial scholarship to UCLA and and a full ride to Peperdine but the thought of moving across the country was a little too daunting for the small town teen. He had been offered a place at Harvard, but no financial help. Maintaining Harvard academic standards and a full basketball training schedule seemed overwhelming. He was offered a full scholarship based on his academics alone to Campbell, his safety school. They didn’t have a thriving sports program and he really didn’t want to keep living with his parents. Plus, his father was a professor there and he’d never hear the end of it if he got caught drinking underage or engaging in other typical college shenanigans.

Rhett wiped his damp palms on the front of his jeans before taking the phone from his mom. He cleared his throat as he raised the receiver to his lips.

“Hello, sir,” he said, his throat immediately dry with nerves.

“Rhett! Coach Fitzpatrick here at NC State. Just wanted to call to invite you to join us for the 1996-’97 season as a member of the Men’s Basketball Program!”

“Seriously?” Rhett winced at his reaction.

“Yes, boy. I’m serious. Full scholarship and everything. You gotta keep your grades up, above a 3.5. But I’ve seen your GPA. That should be no problem for a bright kid like you. We even have a deluxe dorm room with a king sized bed for you. No twin bunks or yappy roommates for our star players. So, wadda ya say? Gonna join the WolfPack?!”

“... Yes. Yes sir!” Rhett replied, reality finally settling in that his dream school wanted him.

“Fantastic! We’re happy to have y’all. We’ll send out a packet to you soon with all the info you need. Keep training over the summer. Want you in top shape.”

“Yes sir. Of course. I’ll train double! Thank you.”

“Love your enthusiasm, kid. We’ll be in touch. Welcome to the Wolf Pack.”

* * *

The last month of high school flew by for Rhett. Finals, prom, graduation. He was even named valedictorian. A series of rites of passage brought him closer to moving to Raleigh. He couldn’t wait. He took a job at a children’s basketball camp for the summer, teaching children and pre-teens how to play. On his off time, he trained. He woke up and did sprints, stayed outside doing box jumps till sundown, and lifted weights at night. He was going to start the basketball season in peak performance.

Thankfully, members of the athletics program got to move in a week early. It meant an extra week of training, camaraderie, team building and that Rhett was able to move into an almost vacant Syme Dormitory. His brother Cole, an NC State senior who lived off campus, helped him carry in his belongings.

“Woah… Nice room, stretch,” he said as he dropped a box on the floor next to the king sized bed. “I had to squeeze myself into a twin and I had to take the top bunk because my roommate had the world’s smallest bladder.”

Rhett belly flopped onto the huge bed and sprawled out. “The ladies are gonna love this!” he said, shaking his hips.

“Ugh gross. Come on, _Big Man on Campus,_ we have more boxes.”

Cole offered his hand to Rhett and pulled him up off the bed. They made quick work of unpacking Rhett’s car. “Well, guess that’s it,” Rhett said quietly as Cole placed the last box on the bed.

“You ready for this, brother?” Cole asked.

“Yeah. It's weird. But it’s good.”

“I’m a phone call away, and if you ever get into trouble you just call, okay? I promise I won’t tell mom and dad.”

Rhett nodded. He hated the fact that he was about to cry.

“Come here,” Cole said. He gave him a tight hug followed by a nuggie. Cole’s knuckles digging into Rhett’s buzz cut turned Rhett’s tears to laughter as he playfully punched Cole in the side. “I know I give you a hard time, but I’m proud of you, Rhett.”

“Thanks, brother,” Rhett smiled. It was a rare occurrence that his older brother gave him a compliment.

“Alright, I’m off. Don’t do anything that requires bail money!” he waved as he left.

Rhett closed the door behind him and stretched out on his bed. It was official. He was a college man.

* * *

The first week went well. He met his teammates and got on with them. They even had a mixer with the other athletics students and he’d hit it off with a brunette volleyball player named Julia. She was tall, almost 6 feet, with long brown hair. She was slim and her athletic build was appealing to Rhett. Her narrow hips and muscular arms made him feel a certain way. He managed to get her number and hoped she’d be his girlfriend by homecoming.

Move in day for the general population was here. His quiet dorm building was suddenly full of confused students and their parents. Mothers cried in the hallways, it was a lot. He was grateful he’d been able to move in early. His room already felt like home. It was by no means huge, but the king size bed was a godsend. For the first time in his life, he was able to stretch out his 6’7” frame fully and get a good night’s sleep. Aside from the bed, there was a wide oak dresser which he’d put his toaster oven and mini fridge on top of. A matching desk sat under the window with a grey padded chair. He'd put up a large Reservoir Dogs poster, a Wolf Pack pennant and some pictures from home. Unfortunately, there was no ensuite. He’d be forced to use the common washrooms. Although, he’d end up showering in the locker room after early morning practice most days, so that didn’t bother him too much.

There was a freshman mixer he was expected to attend that evening. The whole team had been given the talk. How they were ambassadors for their sport and for the school. They were required to be seen, and to be seen in WolfPack red. His closet burst with school branded gear. All the people that had infiltrated his quiet world were getting to him. He needed to unwind before he had to put on his all star smile. He flipped through his stack of CDs and settled on Pearl Jam’s _Ten_. The music was successful in filtering out most of the noise.

He lay down on his bed and opened an issue of Basketball Digest, analyzing stats of the competition and plotting his rise to NBA fame. He picked up his stack of magazines and looked through them, eventually arriving at the bottom most one on the stack. The one that, when he lived at home, he kept tucked between the mattress and boxspring. The old playboy was dogeared and worse for wear. But it still did the trick. He pushed his shorts down and settled into a comfortable position. He pulled open the drawer on his bedside table and retrieved a bottle of lotion. He flipped through until he found his favourite model. She was almost boyish, small tits, narrow hips, her baby pink lips open and inviting as she stared into the camera.

He poured some lotion into his hand and began to stroke his already half hard cock. He thought about how good it would feel to have wet lips wrapped around it. He talked a good game, but was woefully inexperienced in the lovemaking department. He hoped college life would change all of that though. A basketball star, he was sure to have women hanging off him. His cock began to leak. Just the thought of getting laid was enough to drive him crazy. He jerked off harder, his hand making wet slapping sounds with the lotion as he beat off.

The door swung open, “Oh rad, Pearl Ja-,” the man who’d entered the room dropped the box he was carrying on the floor. “Mom, wait there!” he yelled into the hall as he closed the door behind him.

Rhett raced to cover himself up with his sheets. “What the fuck are you doing in my room?!” he bellowed.

“I… it’s room twenty-four, right?” The bewildered man said, consulting the paper in his shaky hands.

“Yeah but does it look like a double?!” Rhett raged.

The man looked around the room with utter confusion.

“Go to the housing office and tell them they fucked up.”

“Shit, sorry I’ll let you… uh, get back to it,” the man winced as he turned and left the room.

“Learn how to knock next time, asshole!” Rhett called after him.

He lay in his bed practically panting. Apparently getting caught was a turn on because the second the door had closed behind the man with the flippy brown hair and bespectacled blue eyes, Rhett blew his load all over his stomach. He hadn’t come that hard in a while. He lay there for a few minutes and seriously wondered what the fuck was wrong with him that some dork in a cardigan and a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt barging in on him could give him one of the best orgasms of his life. He seriously wanted to take a nap, but he spotted the box the loser had dropped on his floor. He figured sooner or later he’d be back for his stuff so Rhett cleaned up, hid his lotion and magazine, and straightened up his bed.

He sat at his desk and looked over his practice schedule, desperately trying to forget what had just happened. As expected a timid knock rapt at his door. He sighed and turned down his music. "Come in," he hollered.

The door creaked open and the man stood there with a short middle aged lady, presumably his mother, and the Residence Advisor, a senior named Stephanie that Rhett had met the previous night.

"Hi Rhett," her soft tone and the fact that her eyes wouldn't meet his put him on edge. "So, umm-" she fiddled with her hoodie string. "it seems there's been a mistake and Link has been assigned as your roommate?"

"What does that mean? What's a Link?" Rhett asked.

"Uhh, I'm Link," the man said with an awkward wave.

"How the fuck are we supposed to share this room?" he caught a scowl from Link's mother. "I'm sorry for cussin' ma'am."

"I spoke to housing. It'll likely only be a few days until they can rearrange things and find a proper spot for Link."

"I'm not sleeping with another dude." Rhett's eyes narrowed at Link.

"Look man, I don't like this anymore than you do. I have my sleeping bag. I can sleep on the floor."

Rhett ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Do I have a choice?" he asked Stephanie.

" 'Fraid not," she clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll keep on housing’s ass. Get him out of your hair ASAP."

"Fine. I'm gonna take off. Try not to get your stuff all over my room," he said to Link coldly as he threw a change of clothes into his backpack and headed for the gym. He was fuming mad, but he figured he may as well channel his rage into a workout. 


	2. No Rain

**No Rain**

_All I can say is that my life is pretty plain_

_I _ _like watchin' the puddles gather rain_

_And all I can do is just pour some tea for two_

_And speak my point of view but it's not sane_

\- Blind Melon (1992)

Link had been so excited to go to NC State to study his life long love of film making, and to experience the freedom of college and get away from the small-town life he was used to. That was, of course, until he had opened the door on a whole mess of problems that morning, a mess of problems and one very tall boy who was in a compromising position. The look of shock and anger on the guy’s face was nothing compared to the red heat of embarrassment Link felt creep up his neck as he saw the person he now knows as Rhett, throw the blankets over his throbbing dick. Not exactly the start to his college experience he had envisioned. 

As Link sat in the padded gray chair and lay his head on the cool wood of the desk before him, he thought about what to do next. His mother had helped him unpack as much as she could before she left him with a kiss on the cheek and a reminder to “be a good boy.” They had placed a few of his hanging clothes in the very corner of the only closet and stacked his books and a couple of pictures from home on the empty shelves on the far wall. He put his shower caddy on the windowsill and spread his sleeping bag on the floor in front of it. Everything else he owned would have to stay in the footlocker he had brought with him. Link wanted to take up as little space as possible to avoid being a nuisance to Rhett. 

For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why Rhett was so upset by his presence. Campus housing had made a simple mistake and he was sure they would fix it as quickly as possible just as they had said. In the meantime the massive king size bed on the opposite side of the room was plenty big enough for both of them to sleep in, but clearly that was not something Rhett was okay with, and Link was not willing to push the subject. Not yet at least. 

“We’ll see how I feel after a night on this hard ass floor,” he said under his breath.

Six p.m. finally rolled around. Link strolled over to the student union building for the Freshman mixer. He had taken some time to style his shaggy black hair and put on his favorite red T-shirt. It was a little tight, but he knew it showed off all the hard work he had put into his arms and shoulders over the summer. He looked good if he did say so himself. Hopefully, he would find some friendly faces because so far the only person he’d met on campus had been less than welcoming. 

Once Link got inside he could see the atrium was completely filled with freshman. He scribbled "Link (film)" on his “My name is…” tag and slapped it on the left side of his shirt. He stood off to the side to get the lay of the land. Music was already playing and Link could never resist a good beat. Before he knew it he was in the middle of the dance floor arms above his head, shaking his hips, and swaying to Montell Jordan's _This is How We Do It_. Link was really getting into it and enjoying the smiles on the faces of his classmates around him when he got the feeling he was being watched. He spun around and scanned the crowd to see if there was anyone he knew. Sure enough in the far left corner of the room was a blonde buzz cut standing a foot above everybody else. He could see Rhett’s eyes trained on his body with a dark look that made him shiver a little. The look caused his pulse to speed up and it made him want to shake his hips just a little bit more. Rhett spun around and broke the eye contact. 

Because his mama had raised him to believe that kindness was always the answer, Link decided to give it another try and make friends with Rhett. They were going to be stuck together for the foreseeable future after all. He grabbed a couple of Sprites from the refreshment station and headed over in the direction of the NC State men’s basketball table. 

As Link approached he could see that all the players were gathered around handing out free bumper stickers to the freshman and encouraging them to come out to a game to support the team. Rhett was standing out front wearing his jersey over a t-shirt and a pair of loose khaki shorts and talking to another player when Link strolled up and stopped in front of him. Rhett excused himself and his buddy walked away to talk to a group of giggling girls who were shamelessly flirting with the other ballers. 

“What do you want?” Rhett snapped. 

“Nothing, man, just trying to be friendly.” Link handed him the Sprite. Rhett took it making sure not to touch Link’s hand in the process. “Why didn’t you introduce me to your friend? Don’t want him to know you have a roommate?” Link asked with a playful wink. 

“Hell no!” A genuine look of shock and disgust on Rhett's face. “All these dudes know what the rooms look like. They’d never let me live it down… and you better not say nothing neither.” Rhett continued in a rushed whisper. “That’s all I need is for them to be calling me a queer the first week of practice.” 

Link felt the hot flush of embarrassment creep up his neck again. A shocked Link stumbled over his words. “Yeah, of course... I was just joking alright... it’s getting... I gotta go.“ He turned and rushed out of the student union building tossing his full Sprite in the trash as he went. Link had worked hard to stay in the closet in his small hometown for his own safety and sanity. He had hoped that college would be a chance to explore his sexuality and finally get comfortable with being gay. He certainly didn’t expect to be slapped in the face with the same homophobia he had grown up around all his life. Forget trying to be friends with that jerk. He was just going to try and survive until he could get a room of his own and never have to talk to Rhett Mc-what’s-his-name ever again.

* * *

The cold tile felt especially hard under Link's sleeping bag as he was awoken by the light from a small lamp. He watched Rhett toss his wallet and keys on the desk and pull his t-shirt off over his head. The broad expanse of Rhett's back was blanketed in shadow, but Link could still make out how toned he was. It made his belly tingle in a way that he didn't want to think about right now. Rhett slipped out to brush his teeth and Link buried his face in his pillow to avoid seeing more than he already had. The drag of sleep was just pulling him under again as squeaking bed springs brought him back to consciousness. 

“You awake, Link?” Rhett's voice was hushed by the late hour. 

“Mmm...kinda,” Link mumbled into his pillow. He opened an eye and peeked out from under his black fringe.

“Are you gonna go to the Campus Housing office tomorrow?” Rhett ran a hand across his buzz cut. He sounded nervous. 

Link slowly sat up in his makeshift bed on the hard floor. Even without his glasses he could see Rhett had changed into his night clothes, a Michael Jordan t-shirt and basketball shorts. “I don’t know, I don’t think it will do much good.” Link’s voice was thick with sleep.

Rhett jumped up and started pacing back and forth in front of his bed. “Well you can’t stay here. I mean… I can’t have you around all the time. It’s my room and I just… you can’t stay.” He was obviously flustered, hands on his hips and his mouth set in a severe line. 

Link was annoyed but he tried to remain calm. “Look, man, you obviously can’t stand me and that’s fine. Yes, I’m gay, but your comment earlier tonight was totally out of line. I’ll be out of here as soon as possible. We just have to be patient and wait for Housing to call.” He had had enough today and just wanted to go back to sleep. 

Rhett stopped pacing and stared at him with a look of surprise on his face. Link had forgotten he was only wearing his boxers. His sleeping bag had slipped down to rest in his lap. Rhett’s gaze lingered on Link’s chest a moment too long before he flopped down on his king sized bed and flicked the lamp off. Rhett released a long drawn out sigh of frustration. “Whatever.”

Link curled back up in his sleeping bag. He was tired of fighting and worrying about all of it. Sleep came quickly. 


	3. What's Up?

**What’s Up?**

_ And so I wake in the morning _

_ A _ _ nd I step outside _

_ And I take a deep breath and I get real high _

_ And I scream from the top of my lungs _

_ What's going on? _

-4 Non-Blondes (1992)

Rhett didn’t _ have to _ let his five am alarm blast for a full minute before turning it off. He didn’t _ have to _ get out of the far side of his bed, causing him to nearly kick his floor companion. He didn’t _ have to _ strip down and walk around the room in nothing but his boxers like he owned the place. But that was the point. This eight by twelve foot dorm room was his castle and had to stake his claim. He pulled on his practice uniform, stuffed a change of clothes in his duffle bag and let the heavy door slam behind him. 

He had slept terribly. He had a fantasia fueled nightmare where he tried to murder Link with an axe and everytime he chopped him in half, mini Links sprung from the halves and suddenly his room was filled with a thousand toddler sized Links with their shaggy hair and glasses all saying in deafining unison, “Hi Rhett! I’m your roommate, Link! We’re going to be bestttttt friendssssssss.”

As he walked into the gym, his roommate troubles eased. He was here on the Wolfpack court for his first official practice. It almost made him well up everytime he saw the red NCS stenciled in the centre circle. The realization of so many childhood dreams, thousands of hours of training and games. All the things he gave up. And now he was here, one step closer to his dream of playing in the NBA. He stowed his duffle bag away and joined his team mates. Coach Fitzpatrick had them run a series of drills. Assistant coach Reynolds took diligent notes on each player. Rhett was both intimidated and in awe of some of the older players on the team. Their stamina and skill made him feel green, but that just meant he’d have to train twice as hard. Next, the Coach handed out a large red binder to each of them. Their own playbooks, which they were to have memorized to practice in two days time. Rhett swallowed hard. The playbook was massive. He felt somewhat at ease knowing as a rookie he’d probably be benched the whole game. But he was still intimidated. 

After practice, he went to the gym with the rest of the team. Rowing machine, weight lifting, sprints on the treadmill. By the end he was soaked with sweat. It was seven am and he was already exhausted. He hit the shower and wondered how he would manage to handle a full course load on top of of practice and training. So many people were behind him. His parents, his highschool coach, and now NC State, who’d given him the opportunity of a lifetime. He wasn’t going to disappoint them.

First thing’s first. Breakfast. Rhett was starving. He went to the dining hall and ordered a four egg omelet stuffed with meat, veggies and cheese. He eyed the waffle bar, and decided to add a Belgian waffle with whipped cream and strawberries. He got a large coffee as well and sat down. He was glad it was early and the hall was still empty because he practically shoveled the food into his mouth without tasting it. He made a mental note to go to the grocery store and pick up some snacks. Of course, he’d have to find a good hiding spot. Link had already mooched a room off of him, he’d probably steal his snacks too.

He checked his watch, it was almost eight am. The housing office would open soon. If Link wasn’t going to go, then Rhett would. He wanted that skinny little dweeb out of his life as soon as possible. He leaned against the wall beside the door, arms crossed and an impertinent stare that made anyone who met it avert their eyes and move as far as they could to the other side of the hallway. Finally a woman who looked too old to be a student walked towards the door. “Aren’t you eager?” she asked as she unlocked the door. “Give me two minutes to get settled.” Rhett wordlessly nodded. She was probably in her early thirties, and she wore tan pants, a crisp white shirt and a plaid corduroy blazer in shades of brown and orange that complimented her long blonde hair. She looked like she belonged on the cover of a Sears catalogue. She seemed overly easy going for how stressful and annoying her job was.

It felt like an eternity before the door swung open and she waved him in. Her office was small but cozy. Even the cinder block walls looked down right cheery with their yellow paint. “I’m Penny, have a seat!” Rhett shook her hand and sank into the chair in front of her desk. 

“Mornin’ ma’am,” If anything, Rhett knew if he was charming and polite he’d be more likely to get a better outcome. “My name’s Rhett McLaughlin, I’m in Syme dorm. Room 24 and-”

She held her index finger up and swung her office chair around to the bank of filing cabinets behind her. She pulled open a drawer and thumbed through manilla files until she pulled out one marked _ Syme 24 _. “Continue,” she said as she sat back down and opened up the file.

“Well ya see I’m on a basketball scholarship and they gave me a king size bed. On account of my height. But they also assigned me a roommate. And… well… you can see the predicament I’m in.” he flashed her an all-star smile. 

“Oh yes, I remember from yesterday. I’ve been digging into what happened. Unfortunately room twenty four was originally a double. I was off on maternity leave and I guess my replacement switched it to a single, ordered the new furniture and what have you but never changed the room status to a single. Obviously you boys don’t want to share a king size bed so I’ll call maintenance and have them move bunks and another dresser and desk in. Should only be a day or two and-”

Rhett stood, extending his full height. He could practically feel steam pouring out of his ears he was so pissed. “Penny, how am I supposed to sleep in a twin size bed. I’m a big man. I need a big bed.”

“I see that Mr. McLaughlin. But your choices are to keep the king and share it with Mr. Neal, or get bunks. There’s no way around it,” she said, matter of factly. 

“There absolutely is another way around it,” he said through gritted teeth. “Move _ him _ to another room. Hell, throw him in with some other artsy freaks and make it a triple. Kick him out on the street for all I care, just get him the fuck out of my room!"

“If any room becomes vacant, he’ll be the first one I move. Someone drops out or moves out, room is his, but in the meantime he stays. Talk to Mr. Neal and let me know what you want to do about the bed situation.” She closed the file and put it back in the cabinet, closing it with a determined thud. 

Rhett’s blood boiled. He grabbed his bag and stormed out of the office. Link was outside, slumped on the floor beside the door, writing in a moleskin journal. “Rhett, wait up,” he said as he scrambled to stand.

“Not- not now,” Rhett said as he took intentionally long strides to put distance between himself and Link. He was so mad, he was shaking. And as much as he hated Link, he didn’t want to do something he’d regret. He found a large tree in the quad and sat under it. He pulled out his playbook and tried to study the patterns, but couldn’t concentrate. What the fuck was he going to do? For a split second, he thought about framing Link for something to get him kicked out. But even he was above that. Maybe he could talk to his coach. Use his Wolfpack clout to make waves. But that would mean he’d have to admit sharing a room with one bed with a loser who wore cardigans and had a girl’s hair cut. 

He was exhausted. Physically, mentally, emotionally. It was only 9am, but he needed a nap. He dug his disc man out of his bag and slid his headphones on. The intro to 2Pac’s _ Me Against the World _washed over him as he headed back to his room. He desperately hoped when he got there, he’d find it empty.

It only took him about fifteen minutes to walk across campus. He stood outside the door to room twenty four and took a deep breath. Unfortunately, when he swung open the door, at the desk sat Link. His arms were crossed on the desk, cradling his face and he appeared to be crying.

“Jesus,” Rhett muttered to himself as he hung up his windbreaker. He pulled a puffy coat out of his closet. It was mostly blue with stripes of red, yellow and green. “I didn’t say you could hang your shit in _ my _ closet,” he said as he took the coat off the hanger and threw it at Link.

“Fuck man, that’s vintage!” 

Rhett rolled his eyes. “And what’s all this shit?” he said pointing to the few items Link had put on the shelf.

“It was empty. What the hell do you want me to do man?”

“Fuck off? Drop out? Die? I don’t really give a shit. Just get out of my life.” Suddenly he wasn’t tired anymore. Now, jacked on adrenaline, his voice got progressively louder. 

“I talked to Penny after you left, jackass. There’s nowhere else for me to go. So we’re gonna have to find a way to make this work.”

“That’s so cute, Link. Everything is great in your world isn’t it? Fuckin’ rosy I bet.” He could feel his face getting red.

Link pushed the chair away from the desk, “Well, I'm currently dealing with the roommate from hell, but yeah, otherwise it’s pretty fucking great.”

“What the fuck kinda name is Link anyway?” he said, pulling Link’s few items of clothing out of the closet and tossing them on the bed. “It’s some pretentious gay artsy bullshit isn’t it?” he pinched Link’s tie-dye _ Butthole Surfers _t-shirt to emphasize his point.

“My name is Charles. Same as my daddy and his daddy. Both of them tobacco farmers by the way. Nothing pretentious about me. I go by Link because my middle name is Lincoln. I come by it honestly. Not that it matters to you. As for gay, well, you got me there. And I'll ask you again not to throw that in my face.”

Rhett paused, taken aback by Link's forthrightness. “Find somewhere else for your shit,” he said pointing to the clothes on the bed.

“Have you been hit in the head with one too many basketballs? I have nowhere else to go. This isn’t _ your _ room. This is _ our _ room. I’m entitled to half the shelves, half the closet, and half the fucking bed!” Link pushed his clothes aside and sat cross legged at the end of the bed.”

“You don’t get it. I’m here on a sports scholarship. If I fuck up one play on one game it means I lose all shot at getting drafted to the NBA. I can’t have this…” Rhett waved his arms in Link’s direction, “distraction!”

“Sorry I’m such a distraction. I know I’m cute and all. But, I'm here on scholarship too, asshole. Not because I’m some neanderthal who can throw a ball into a hoop but because I worked my ass off to get good grades. I graduated valedictorian with a 3.8 GPA. I’ve earned my right to be here just as much as you, dumbnut.” 

“...right,” Rhett turned around and left the room.

_ Neanderthal _ … _ Dumbnut _… Link's words echoed in his brain as he pushed open the doors of Syme. Sorority girls sunned themselves on the lawn, soaking up the last rays of summer while a group of guys played hacky sack. They all seemed so carefree while Rhett felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

A bank of payphones stood outside the building. Rhett opened his wallet and pulled out the slip of paper he'd been keeping safe. He put a dime into the phone and dialed the number on the paper. He nervously ran his fingers along the chord as the phone rang. 

"Hello, Julia? It's Rhett…. Are you free? I could really use someone to talk to." 

* * *

Rhett sat at a table in the small courtyard outside the coffee shop near Julia's dorm. He stood and smiled as she walked up, decked out in wolf pack sweatpants and tshirt, that matched his basketball shorts and hoodie. Her long brown hair was in a high ponytail and it swung as she walked up to him. "Hey there, sporty spice," he said as she gave him a friendly hug. 

"Ha. Funny, Rhett." Her grin gave away her actual amusement. "I'm just gonna get a coffee and I'll be right back."

"No, I'll get it," Rhett said, motioning for her to sit. "I asked you to meet me, least I can do is get your drink."

"Why, Rhett, I do declare, you are a southern gentleman! In that case, I'll have a cappuccino."

"Sure thing," he smiled and went into the shop to get their drinks. He liked Julia. She was easy to talk to, kept up with his jokes, and was kind and smart. He thought about how happy his parents would be if he brought her home to meet them someday. But he was getting ahead of himself. He paid for their drinks and made his way back outside.

"So what's going on? You seemed frazzled on the phone," she said as she took a sip. 

Rhett sighed. "They promised me when I got my scholarship that I'd get a single room with a king sized bed, y'know on account of my height. And I got that, but they accidentally assigned me a roommate. So now I'm forced to live with this guy."

"Wait! You got a single room with a king bed? None of the female athletes get perks like that. I have to share a room with this weird goth chick. And our bunk beds are so small. I'm almost six foot and my feet hang off the end!" 

"I'm sorry. That's pretty much where I'm at. We're gonna have to get the bed taken out and bunks put in but there's no way I can sleep in a bunk. It's going to fuck up my game. I'm going to lose my scholarship, won't get into the NBA. May as well drop out now and spare myself the shame."

"Calm down, chicken little. The sky isn't falling. Just keep the king and share it. Guys share beds all the time. Doesn't mean anything. I guarantee you in like, two weeks someone will be so homesick they drop out and a room will free up."

"...maybe." Rhett sullenly ripped at the lip of his paper cup. He thought about telling Julia that Link was into guys, but decided to hold back that piece of information. 

"Where did he sleep last night?" 

"On the floor. In his sleeping bag." 

"Well, that's not sustainable. Sounds like he's being a pretty good sport about it all. How about you?" She took another sip and knowingly looked him square in the eyes. 

"I'm angry. Really fucking angry. Why can't they move him to someone else's room? Why me?" 

"Aw babe. You think you're more important than everyone else? You're not the star you were in highschool anymore. You're a college freshman. No one cares about how special you are."

"I was really hard on Link. It's not his fault." Rhett's eyes fell to the table in front of him. 

"Image how scared and lonely he feels. He's new here too, doesn't know a soul and the person he's forced to live with is being a raging asshole." 

"Yeah," Rhett ran his hand over the back of his shaved head. "Yeah, you're right. I think I need to go deal with this. Thank you for talking it through with me." 

"No problem, Larry Bird," she stood and gave him a departing hug. 

"Uh one more thing. Could I take you out sometime? On a real date?" he asked nervously. 

"I'd like that," she smiled up at him. 

"Cool. I'll call you tomorrow."

* * *

Rhett returned to the room, but Link was gone. He hung up the clothes he'd removed from the closet and moved some of the stuff off the shelves to make more room. He stood with his hands on his hips as he looked around the room, trying to make space. His stomach growled. He checked his watch and it was dinner time. He went down to the dining hall, filled up his tray with salad, meatloaf, a baked potato, corn, and a can of mellow yellow. He sat at an empty table on the far side of the building, near a window that looked out onto campus. 

He chewed his food and contemplated the last two days. His mind wandered but out of the corner of his eye he saw Link. Tray of food in hand, he roamed the dining hall looking for an empty seat. His eyes locked with Rhett's and he looked away. "Link!" Rhett yelled and Link looked over again. Rhett kicked the empty chair away from the table to make room. 

Link tentatively approached. "You sure?" he asked cautiously. 

"Yeah," Rhett replied with a mouth full of meatloaf. 

Link's hands shook as he unfolded his napkin. 

"I went down to housing again. They're delivering a chest of drawers for you tomorrow. I can't do anything about the bed situation. I'm just too tall for a bunk. Penny is looking into getting you a cot we can fold up when you're not using it." 

"I… Really? Thank you Rhett." Link's voice cracked. 

The pair ate in silence, but for the first time in two days, it felt comfortable. As they finished up Link cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go to the library. Check out the film collection. Room's yours for the evening." 

"Thanks," Rhett said earnestly. 

They parted ways and Rhett went up to the room. He sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled out his playbook. His mind at ease, he was finally able to study. 

A few hours later, Link came back. The pair took turns getting ready for bed, one using the washroom while the other changed in an effortto give them some privacy. Link crawled into his sleeping bag on the floor and Rhett turned out the light. 

"Hey, Rhett?" 

"Mmyeah?" Rhett said, sleepily. 

"I'm sorry I called you a dumbnut." 

Rhett tried to stifle it but he couldn't help it. A bubble of laughter burst from his throat. Laughter that turned into outright giggles. Soon Link joined him, both stupid with exhaustion, they laughed until their sides hurt. 


	4. Hey, Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it's American Thanksgiving this week we thought we'd drop an extra chapter so you can hide from your family and read this instead 😂

**Hey Jealousy**

_ 'Cause all I really want is to be with you _

_ Feeling like I matter too _

_ If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago _

_ I might be here with you _

_ Tomorrow we can drive around this town _

_ And let the cops chase us around _

_ The past is gone but something might be found _

_ To take its place... Hey jealousy _

-Gin Blossoms (1992) 

The last two weeks had been much calmer. No more outbursts from Rhett, no more ranting and raving. They were eating dinner together every day in the dining hall. Taking the time to learn a bit about each other and rating the entrees on a scale of 1-10. Rhett was confident the fried chicken was a ten, best he’d ever had anywhere, but Link was sure his Memaw’s was a million times better. The pair had even played Super NES in the common room a couple times when it was too rainy to venture out. Link definitely wouldn't say they were friends, but at least he didn't get a death stare everytime he walked into the dorm room anymore. 

Link was settling in and getting more comfortable on campus. He joined the newspaper as a photographer in hopes of making more friends and to have another avenue to be creative. Seeing his pictures show up in the campus publication gave him a real sense of pride. His Intro to Film class was everything he had always wanted. Actually getting to study the subject he was passionate about was a dream come true. Analyzing film and thinking critically about the movies he loved was beneficial in brainstorming about the kind of films he wanted to make in the future. Unfortunately, since he was a freshman he still had a lot of prerequisites to take too, including several maths which weren’t his strong suit. He had taken some pre-calc in high school and done well, but the combination of college level calculus and sleeping on a hard floor for the last few weeks had seriously affected his academic performance. 

The cot that housing had promised never showed up. Something about the fire code and number of beds per room. Link explained to them again that he and Rhett only had one bed, but they insisted that it had the capacity for two people and therefore was valid. The floor remained just as hard as ever. Most nights Link tossed and turned unable to find a comfortable position to slip into a deep sleep. His exhaustion was starting to affect his grades. He just wasn’t a person who could perform well without a solid eight hours of sleep. Luckily, when Link asked his professor at the end of class about tutoring, a fellow student, John, overheard and was eager to volunteer that he’d be happy to tutor Link privately. They met in the library a couple of times that week and it was really helping. 

The night before the first big test of the semester Link invited John over to study and help him understand this Sine/Cosine business. He had to skip dinner because it was the only time John was available, but it was no big deal and he was sure Rhett would understand. Besides it’s not like Rhett would be by himself, he would have Julia. She had taken to eating with them a couple nights a week after volleyball practice. 

There was a quiet knock on the wooden door of room 24. Link hopped up and let his guest in. John was a nice guy, a cornerback for the NC State football team who had a wicked smile and a beautiful set of big brown eyes. Link couldn't help but notice how attractive he was and his big brain didn't hurt either. 

After pleasantries were exchanged and some talk about the upcoming game, it was time to get down to business. 

“I set us up over here, John.” Link pointed to the two chairs he had placed in front of the desk. “It's a tight squeeze. Sorry. This is just a really small room.”

“No big deal, man. That bed takes up most of it.” John raised his chin toward the gigantic thing on the other side of the room. “How did you get so lucky to get a king?” He asked with a waggle of his eyebrows. 

“Oh, it's not mine. I mean... I don't sleep in it. My roommate sleeps there. My bed is rolled up in the corner.” Link pointed towards his sleeping bag leaning against the wall. 

John had a look of confusion and curiosity on his brow. 

“There was a mistake with housing and this is supposed to be a single. My roommate doesn't want to share a bed so it is what it is.” Link bent over to pull his books out of his backpack and place them on the desk. “It's a long story, man.”

“Your roommate's an idiot.” There was no mistaking the appreciation in John's voice. 

Link blushed and whispered, “Thanks.”

The two settled down and got to work. They had been pouring over their notes for about half an hour and discussing the review for the test when the door behind them swung open and banged against the wall. Link jumped and spun around to see what all the ruckus was. There stood Rhett with a bewildered look on his face. He looked back and forth between Link and John. His eyes narrowed. “You didn’t come to dinner.”

Link could sense the frustration in his tone. “Uh, yeah, sorry man, John’s been tutoring me and we have a Calc test tomorrow. The library is too crowded, so we came here.”

“Hope that’s okay.” John stood up and held his hand out towards Rhett. “Name’s John Mayfield. I play cornerback for the Wolfpack.” 

Rhett squared his shoulders and stood to his full 6’7” height. “Big fucking deal,” he said “I play shooting guard for the Wolfpack.” Rhett squeezed John’s hand for a few seconds too long before letting go. The tension was thick. 

“I’m just messing with you, bro. It’s cool.” Rhett said with a tight smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t mind me. I’m just gonna catch up on some reading for English.” 

Rhett flopped on the bed and grabbed a book from the small bedside table. His eyes stayed trained on John. 

“Uh, cool.” John replied. Link watched his fists clench as he and Rhett continued their stare down. Link touched John's forearm softly to bring his focus back to the notes on the desk. 

“So can we go over how to graph the cosine again? I’m still a little fuzzy on it.” Link shoved the textbook in front of John hoping to draw his attention away from Rhett. 

“Absolutely,” John said. He rested his arm around the back of Link’s chair and leaned in closer. Over the course of the next hour the pair covered everything on the review sheet and a few items that might be surprises on the test. John also took the opportunity to be extra flirty with Link, resting his hand on Link’s back or brushing his fingertips across Link’s as he pointed out something in the textbook. At one point he even grabbed Link’s thigh as he was reaching for the graphing calculator. The attention was nice, but Link could see that with each touch Rhett was getting more annoyed. His brows were scrunched together and there was a perpetual series of heavy sighs from the bed. 

Just as they were wrapping things up and John was asking Link to come watch him at the game on Saturday, Rhett sprang up and threw his book down on the bed in a great flourish of activity. 

“I’m gonna take a shower.” Rhett announced. He pulled his shirt off and grabbed his towel and shower kit. He shouldered past John and on his way out the door added, “Be great if you were gone when I get back.”

“What an asshole,” John muttered. 

Link apologized for Rhett’s behavior and promised to try and make it out to the game. Once he was alone again he leaned against the door and let out a slow breath. “Freaking jocks,” he said. He finished packing up his notebooks and study materials and got his backpack ready for the next day. He spread his sleeping bag out and fluffed his pillow before resting his head on it. Link just needed a minute to relax and decompress. He put on his Discman headphones and slipped in a Green Day CD. He hoped the driving beat of Billie Joe and the boys would help clear his mind of the look on Rhett's face when he opened the door and found Link with John.  _ What was that look? Anger? Frustration?... Jealousy? _

Link had just closed his eyes when he felt a soft kick to his thigh. He looked up and prepared for a verbal battle but the words froze in his throat. There looking down upon him stood a dripping wet Rhett wearing nothing but a white bath towel wrapped low around his hips. 

He couldn’t help but take in the full view that was presented to him. The large feet that were planted on the floor next to Link’s arm lead up to the longest legs covered in soft wet hair. They disappeared into the mysterious world of the white bath towel. The thought of what was under there made Link’s heart race. His eyes continue their journey upward to the smooth chest and strong muscles of Rhett’s arms that hung loosely at his sides. Honed by years of practicing layups and dribbling drills their lean toned form made LInk’s mouth water. His gaze finally landed on a pair of green eyes framed by long eyelashes that still held tiny droplets of water. Link could feel warm heat branching out from his belly. He couldn’t help but lick his lips as he stared at the man before him. Rhett wore a cocky smirk that said he knew just what he was doing. 

“Why weren’t you at dinner?” Rhett asked gently. 

Link watch a drop of water slide down over Rhett’s stomach and disappear into the bath towel. “I was... I... I had to study.” 

“Yeah, you said that.” Rhett continued in the same smooth voice as before. “How do you know that guy?” Link felt as if the words were washing over him like a warm tide. He sat up in his makeshift bed. He was eye level with Rhett’s thighs now. Rhett did not back away. 

_ “What would happen if I slid my hand up under the towel? Would he stop me?”  _ Link was drawn to the outline of Rhett's package hidden by the loose drape of the white terry cloth. He could see it bounce as Rhett spoke again.

“Are you finally gonna flunk out, so I get my room back to myself?” Even though it was the same line Link had heard so many times before, Rhett’s words held no venom now. They were velvety soft and almost teasing.

Link was tongue tied. He tried to clear his mind so he could form a coherent thought, but the idea of the towel’s knot slipping loose and falling to the floor was all he could focus on. Rhett turned back and walked towards the bed. The towel stretched across his thighs and gaped open as he sat down and rested his elbows on his knees. Shadows hid what was really there, but Link’s mind wandered to all the possibilities. “ _ Is he long? Thick? Gosh I hope it’s thick. Would love to get my lips…” _

“Well, what’s the answer? Why are you failing?” Rhett’s voice jolted Link out of his daydream. 

“I’m not, just a little behind is all. It’s tough material and I’m not getting great sleep which should be no surprise to you.” Link was sure his arousal was obvious at this point, but he didn’t care. It felt too good to get to look at his roommate like this. Link was hard as a rock and throbbing in time with his racing pulse. 

“That’s a shame, dude. Hope you can pull it together.” Rhett’s voice was still smooth and soft. He drug a hand across his buzzed hair and down the back of his neck. “Seems ol’ John is more than happy to lend you a hand… or his dick.” Rhett laid back and spread his arms wide on the king sized bed. The towel was tented by what Link could only assume was arousal. 

Link couldn’t take anymore. He was sure he was about to embarrass himself and come in his pants. It had been weeks since he'd had time to get off and Rhett's naked form was about to push him over the edge. He hopped up from his spot on the floor, grabbed his shower stuff and sweats, and headed straight for the door. “Whatever, man, I’m doing the best I can.” Link had to get somewhere private to take care of the situation in his pants before he burst. 

The bathroom was crowded. Link went to the last stall on the end and pulled back the curtain. He threw his towel on the bench, stripped down quickly, and turned the water to hot. He laid his glasses on top of his towel and stepped inside. He was still so hard. As the warm water ran over his body Link hoped it would dampen this fire burning within his belly, but it did nothing to put out the flames. 

He planted his palms on the wall of the shower stall and hung his head taking deep breaths. “ _ What is he playing at? He hates me? Or at least I thought he did.” _ Link wrapped his long fingers around his hard shaft and squeezed. There was no time to draw things out and enjoy this. He was too keyed up to linger in his fantasies. He soaped his hand with some shower gel and began taking quick strokes. 

It was rough and dirty. All he could think of was the white bath towel and the promise of what laid underneath. Slipping his hand inside and finding Rhett’s hard cock waiting for him.  _ “I just want to rip that fucking towel off of him and make him beg” _ . He alternated between stroking himself and passing his fingertips over his balls in a continuous loop quickening the pace as he got close to his climax. 

By now Link was panting out soft moans on each downstroke as he fucked his hand and pictured jerking off Rhett. His vision shifted to a scene of himself on his knees looking up at Rhett as his tongue cradled the taller man’s cock. With a series of deep grunts muffled by the loud spray of the shower, Link came all over the wall and himself. He continued pumping his shaft through the orgasm until he felt his knees get weak and he had to sit down on the floor. Totally wrecked and relaxed. 

“What a fucking mess.” Link said to no one but himself. 

His heart rate slowly returned to normal and his breathing evened out. When he was able to stand Link took a long time to clean himself. He did a thorough job of shampooing his hair and made sure to rinse all the evidence of his pleasure off the shower wall. Link lingered in the shower another 15 minutes drying off and stretching out his bedtime routine. He was in no rush to go back to the dorm room and face his roommate and the cocky smirk he was sure Rhett still wore. 

Link finally gathered all his belongings and quietly padded down the hall back to the room. He turned the doorknob slowly so as not to wake Rhett just in case he had dozed off. Sure enough when he opened the door, the only light that shone was the moonlight through the window. Link could see Rhett was asleep under the covers of the giant king sized bed. And there next to Rhett on top of the covers was Link’s sleeping bag and pillow. They had been carefully laid out on the empty side of the bed with the sleeping bag’s flap folded down as if it were waiting for an occupant. A stunned Link set his shower caddy on the windowsill and walked over to the side of the bed. He only hesitated a moment before he climbed into his sleeping bag. Facing away from Rhett he closed his eyes and enjoyed the softness of laying on a mattress after weeks of the hard floor. 

A moment passed before a quiet voice whispered from the other side of the bed, “Is that guy your boyfriend?”

“No…” Link whispered back. “He’s just a friend.” He paused just a moment before adding. “I like my guys taller.” 

Silence filled the room as Link snuggled into his pillow and fell asleep. 

  



	5. Beer

**Beer**

_ If I get drunk well I'll pass out _

_ On the floor now baby _

_ You won't bother me no more _

_ If you're drinkin' well you know _

_ That you're my friend and I say _

_ I think I'll have myself a beer _

_ \- _Reel Big Fish (1996)

Sharing a bed with Link wasn’t as horrible and Rhett had feared. They were both slim and didn’t take up much space, and the sleeping bag provided an adequate buffer. Link was often out late at midnight movies or working on films of his own. He was exceptionally careful not to wake Rhett, who got up at five for training and practice. So really it was only a few hours that they were in close proximity. The only time Rhett really noticed was when he woke up. Link’s mouth would be open wide, his head cranked back and snoring lightly. It looked impossibly uncomfortable, but Link was always the same way. Rhett couldn’t help but smile waking up to that image every morning. 

Rhett had made a realization. One he hated to admit to himself. Something that seemed completely improbable. He was jealous when Link spent time with other guys, he missed him when he wasn’t around, and he couldn’t help but smile over the dumb shit he did. That could only mean one thing. Somehow Link had become his… friend? Of course he still wanted Link out of his room. But he hoped when Link got assigned a new roommate he’d at least be in the same dorm and they could still hang out. Keep up their dinner routine at least. It was nice to have someone to laugh with over a meal.

Link walked into the dorm and slammed a paper on the desk triumphantly, “A+ , baby!” he said as he shrugged off his backpack and flopped on the bed. 

Rhett turned his attention from his reflection in the mirror. “On your math test?” 

“Yeah, buddyroll,” Link replied, flashing him a toothy grin. 

Rhett gave him an enthusiastic high-five. Of course he was glad Link had done well, but he was also happy that it would mean no more late night study sessions with football-Johnny. “Wanna celebrate? I’m going to a party with Julia at some sorority.”

“Ehh, I don’t know man,” Link said as he ran his hands through his shaggy black hair.

"Come on. I'll even pitch in for you for the keg." Rhett turned his attention back to the mirror where he examined his soul patch. He was eighteen, yet somehow the only spot on his face that would sprout facial hair was between his lower lip and chin. 

"Alright, I'll go. Do I have time for a shower?" Link sniffed his armpit and made a sour face. 

_ What a doofus, _Rhett thought fondly. “Yeah sure. I gotta run a few books back to the library then we can head over.”

Link grabbed his stuff and headed to the shower while Rhett got dressed. It hadn’t even registered that he’d been standing in his underwear the whole time in front of Link until the conversation was over. They’d stopped standing on ceremony and reached a level of familiarity Rhett never thought would happen given his initial hatred of the brunette film major.

Rhett pulled on a white t-shirt, baggy stoned washed Levis and a hunter green and white plaid shirt. He sighed as he tucked and untucked his shirt. His tall lanky frame meant his shirts were either way too baggy or way too short and either way he felt self conscious. He opted for a tucked in t-shirt and open flannel. 

When he returned from the library, Link was sitting at their shared desk painting his nails with a silvery grey nailpolish. He wore chocolate brown flared cords, that Rhett suspected might be women’s given how tight they fit in the rear and how low they slug on Link’s hips, with a tiny, almost cropped, white and orange baseball t-shirt and his favourite slouchy oversized olive green cardigan. The proportions were all wrong and yet, somehow, he managed to pull it off effortlessly.

Rhett leaned against the door frame with a quizzical look on his face.

“What?” Link asked as he swiped the final stroke of polish on his thumb.

“Nailpolish?” 

“It’s a party ain’t it?” Link winked and pursed his full lips into an_ O _ to blow on his wet nails. 

“Y’know it’s gonna be mostly jocks there…”

“So?” Link asked pointedly.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Rhett shrugged.

“You look different… why do you look different?”

“Dunno?” Rhett checked his teeth in the mirror.

“I know,” Link snapped his fingers. “You’re not in Wolfpack red. I swear this is the first time I’ve seen you out of school colours.”

“Oh yeah, underage drinkin’ and all. Shouldn’t advertise. I’m supposed to be an upstanding young man.”

“Oh, if they only knew!”

“Yeah I’m a regular bad-ass. Occasionally I sleep in until five-_ fifteen _am.”

Link carefully tapped his thumb nails together and satisfied they were dry enough, pulled on his boots. “Let’s go, badass.”

The pair walked across the quad to greek row, which was just off campus. The autumn evening had turned chilly and Link wrapped his too-big cable knit cardigan around his thin torso. By the time they pushed open the doors to Delta Delta Delta, the party was in full swing. 

Because of his height, Julia easily spied Rhett in the crowd. She bounded over excitedly, already a few drinks in. “Hey baby!” she said, planting a big wet kiss on his lips. “I signed us up for couples beer pong!” 

“Hey, girl.” Rhett wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. She looked so pretty, her hair was in a french braid which showed off her delicate features. She wore a pink gauzy baby doll dress and chunky mary janes, a decidedly more feminie look than her usual volleyball warm up outfit. 

“Link, you’re here. I swear you and my boyfriend are attached at the hip.”

“That a problem, Jules?”

“Nah, we’re cool. Just jealous you get to sleep with him before I do.”

“Oh gosh,” Rhett said. He could feel the redness traveling up his neck as he broke into a full blush. “How about you show us to the keg? You seem to know where it is.”

A few beers in and Rhett was feeling a little buzzed and pretty damn good. Link seemed to be having a good time too. Despite not being a jock, he was gregarious and easy to talk to. Somehow, he had women all over him. Not that it did him any good. But he was happy to sit and talk with various people. Rhett and Julia settled onto a loveseat in a low-lit corner. They’d been officially dating for two weeks, but between class, their grueling athletics training, and their roommates, they rarely found time to see each other, let alone time to be physical. Rhett wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. She was tipsy, for sure, but not too far gone. He kissed her sweetly at first, then the kisses turned hotter, wetter. He hated the fact he kept looking over her shoulder to see if Link was okay. 

The first time, Link was sitting with a group of girls, showing off his nailpolish. Rhett was satisfied he was okay and turned his attention back to Julia. His hand slid up her bare thigh under her skirt and she kissed him harder, biting his lower lip. The next time he looked for Link, he was talking to some guys from the lacrosse team, he made a joke and the guys all laughed in unison. Rhett wished he had half the charm that Link did. His attention back on Julia, he pulled her into his lap, her long legs straddling him. “I’m so wet,” she whispered in his ear. To prove her point, she took his hand and tucked it between her thighs. Camouflaged by the hem of her dress, his fingers slid up her muscular inner thigh. He inhaled sharply at the wet heat at the crotch of her cotton panties. “Fuck,” he whispered. Every fiber of his being was telling him to stay present, that he was about to hit third base with his hot girlfriend at a college party. It was everything he wanted. And yet he looked over her shoulder, scanning the room.

Link was by the keg, back against the wall. John stood in front of him, one hand pressed to the wall beside Link’s head. Link looked up at him with a big goofy grin. John leaned in and whispered something in Link’s ear and the room filled with his tittering laughter. “I- I need a drink,” Rhett said hurriedly as he pulled himself out from under his girlfriend and made his way over to Link and John. 

“Heyyyyyy,” he said, his voice unnaturally strained and high.

“You came up for air I see,” Link said as he took Rhett’s cup to give him a refill. 

“Hahaha yeah. What are y’all talkin’ about?” 

“Link was just telling me about how well he did on his math test. I’m trying to think of an appropriate way for him to thank me.” John winked at Rhett and Rhett’s stomach turned. 

Rhett downed the cup of beer Link handed to him. 

“Someone’s thirsty,” Link said, filling his cup again.

“Sorry to hear about your loss yesterday. What was the final score? 3-58? And a home game too. tsk.”

John squared his stance, trying to make himself look bigger in Rhett’s looming presence. “Yeah. Can’t win ‘em all. The basketball team seems to be having a great season! You get off the bench yet?” he took a swig of his beer.

“Not yet,” Rhett said through gritted teeth.

Link rolled his eyes, “God you two are boring. This song, on the other hand, is awesome.” The driving beat of 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins played over the sound system. Link pulled off his sweater and tossed it on the back of a chair and joined the others on the dance floor. Rhett followed him helplessly. 

“You don’t have to babysit me,” Link yelled in his ear as he pogo-ed around the dance floor. 

“I don’t like that guy. He looks at you like he’s gonna eat you or somethin’!”

Link shrugged, “Like how you look at Julia?”

“I…”

“Rhett, I need you,” Julia’s friend pulled him by the hand, off the dance floor. “Jules got into a bottle of vodka and is puking her guts out. I called her roommate, she’s coming to get her.”

“Oh shit. Want me to help get her downstairs?”

“Please.”

Rhett cracked the door to the upstairs bathroom, “Hey baby. It’s me. I’m gonna help you get into Emily’s car,” he said softly.

“Ughhhhh.”

“Come on now.” he carefully wrapped her arm around his shoulder and helped her up. Slowly they descended the staircase and got outside as Julia’s roommate pulled up. Rhett opened the passenger side door and helped her in. “You want me to come tuck you in?”

“No. ughhhh. You have fun with Linky,” she slurred.

Rhett directed his attention to Emily. “I’ll come by in the morning with coffee and doughnuts. Thank you so much for getting her home safe.”

“No prob. One sugar, two cream for me,” she winked and drove off.

Rhett returned to the party. Once again, he scanned the room for Link and found him still on the dance floor, sweaty and smiling with John’s hands on his slim hips as they danced to Ace of Base.

The music cut off and a booming voice took over the room. “Alright, our next couple for beer pong is John and Gabby!” John let go of Link’s hips and made his way to the beer pong table. “And their opponents will be… Julia and Rhett!”

Rhett cleared his throat, “Uhh Julia had to leave.”

“Well find a partner or admit defeat and take your punishment."

Rhett couldn't forfeit, especially with John as his opponent. He looked pleadingly at Link who wordlessly sighed and joined Rhett at the table. 

Link leaned into Rhett, “You know I’ve never played beer pong, right?” 

“Figures,” Rhett mumbled.

The referee finished pouring beer into the cups arranged in a triangle on each end of the table. “Alright this is how this is gonna work. We’re playing ten-cup elimination pong, triangle rack, one re-rack per game. No roll-backs, bounces, ball-backs, elbows, rebuttals, or bazookas. And the losing team has to complete a punishment from the bucket ‘o shame. Y’all ready?”

“Rhett… I have no idea what any of that means,” Link asked with utter confusion.

“Throw the ball in their cup. If they throw it in our cups we have to drink the beer. That’s about it. We got this, Link.”

John went first, effortlessly tossing the ping-pong ball into a cup which Rhett picked up and drained, his eyes locked on John the whole time. Then John’s partner, Gabby, who Rhett vaguely remembered being on the girls hockey team, tossed a ball into a cup, which Link drank from. Rhett was up next and sank a ball, then Link who took his time to throw, but managed to make a cup.

“Rhett! I did it!” he said excitedly.

Rhett couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, brother!”

They went back and forth sinking balls in cups, but as they downed more beer and the more the number of red solo party cups thinned out, the more difficult it became. 

“Thought you played basketball?” John sneered as Rhett missed a cup.

Link threw another ball and it sailed over the table, and John caught it in his open palm. He winked at Link and sent it back across the table, landing in a cup which Rhett sorely drank. 

Ping pong balls flew back and forth across the table and cups of beer were drunk and discarded until both teams were left with two cups. John and Gabby sunk both of their balls.

“We lost?” Link asked.

“Not yet. We get two more shots. If we get them then we add more cups and keep going.”

“Okay.” Link’s hand shook as he picked up the ball. He took a deep breath and sent it into a graceful arc across the table. It landed perfectly in the furthest cup. 

“YES!” he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Rhett in a big hug. That was new. They’d never hugged before. Link was the same height as Julia was in her platform Mary Janes, but somehow Link fit better, his head tucked under Rhett’s chin and the way Rhett’s arms fell around him like they were puzzle pieces. Rhett almost whimpered at the loss when Link pulled away.

Rhett steadied himself. He could do this. One ball, one cup, easy. He lobbed the ball, it hit the rim of the cup and bounced across the table. 

John and Gabby cheered while the referee came over with the bucket o’shame.

“Pick your punishment, boys,” he said. Rhett reached in and pulled out a slip of paper. He slowly opened it, worried about what the punishment would be. This was supposed to be couples pong, which meant sexy punishments. Would he have to kiss Link? Worse? Finally he dared look down.The paper had two words. ** _BODY SHOT._ **

“Shit,” Rhett said**, **angling the paper so Link could read it. “How we gonna do this?” Rhett asked nervously. 

“Winning team picks who does what!” The ref said as he handed a bottle of tequila to John. It seemed like an eternity of John and Gabby whispering and giggling before John turned around and said to Rhett, “Shirt off, big man.”

Rhett groaned and pulled his shirts off and hopped up on the table. It was already sticky with beer and he felt incredibly vulnerable laid out on display. The crowd gathered around the table. Gabby shoved a wedge of lime, pulp facing out, into his mouth while John laid a trail of salt from his belly button down to the button of his jeans. “Thank me later,” he said and then filled Rhett’s bellybutton with tequila. He tried his best to stay completely still but he could feel all eyes on him. “Rhett and Link! Rhett and Link!” the crowd began to chant.

“You ready?” Link whispered and Rhett nodded. He just wanted to get it over with. Link made his way to the end of the table. He gently steadied himself with his hands on Rhett’s hips as he slowly licked the salt from Rhett’s happy trail. It felt electric and hot and too much for Rhett to handle. Link’s tongue flattened against his belly as he picked up every last grain of salt. Rhett shut his eyes tight. It was too much. Then suddenly it was more, Link’s thick lips sucking tequila out of his belly button, licking up every last drop. The crowd was cheering even louder, loving every minute of Link’s showmanship. Rhett felt a sudden weight land on his belly and he opened his eyes to see Link on top of him, bending over to pull the lime out his mouth with his own. Link raised his arms triumphantly over his head and smiled down at Rhett, his grin full of lime peel. The crowd went wild with applause and cheers as he spit the spent lime on the floor.

“Rhett?”

“Yeah?” he replied horsley.

“Can you let go?”

“Huh?” Rhett looked up and realizing he had a tight grip on Link’s hips, let go so Link could get off him. 

“Figured I’d give ‘em a show,” he said as he helped Rhett up.

Rhett’s head was spinning. He was flushed and light headed. Link had done the shot but Rhett felt like he’d taken five. “My shirt?” he mumbled.

“Here,” Link handed it to him. “Wanna get outta here?”

“Yeah, road beers?”

Link grinned and filled two cups from the keg. He found his cardigan and the pair left the party, drunk and stumbling back to their dorms.

“Hey Link?” Rhett asked as he kicked a can across the quad.

“Yeah, Rhett?” Link replied.

“You’re my best friend.”

Link giggled and playfully bumped into Rhett, “You’re drunk. But thanks buddy.”

They finished their beer and threw it in the trash can outside Syme. The pair made their way inside, stripped down to their underwear and crawled into bed. The dirty clothes and bad breath could be dealt with in the morning. Right now they were too tired to care. 

Link zipped himself into his sleeping bag. “Thanks for inviting me, Rhett. I had fun. I’m going to hate you in the morning when the hangover happens. But right now, I like you.”

Rhett chuckled, “I like you too, Link. G’night.”

As usual Link fell asleep in about thirty seconds. His mouth hung open and he snored lightly. He adjusted his position and his sleeping bag worked its way down to his waist. 

Rhett played back the events of the evening. Making out with Julia had been a dream come true, but the moment that stuck out most was Link’s tongue on his belly. He was sure it was just because he hadn’t done anything like that with Julia. After all, she was the one he wanted to be licking him, not Link. His eyes wandered to Link’s back. Rhett had never realized how strong Link was. But here, naked in the moonlight he could see how muscular his back was. Toned from working on his father’s tobacco farm and mowing lawns all summer. A lingering farmers tan remained, the back of his neck two shades darker than his lower back which was pale and streaked with silvery stretch marks. 

Rhett was too drunk to realize he’d been palming himself through his boxers but now he was full on hard and if he didn’t come soon he might explode. He turned his back to Link and pulled down the waistband of his plaid boxer shorts. Silently he grabbed the lotion from his bedside table and slowly began to stroke himself in time with Link’s breath. He tried focused on the feeling of Julia’s wet panties and what lay beneath them. On kissing her, her hands all over him. But his mind kept going back to the feeling of Link on top of him, weighty and strong, his hands on Link’s hips. 

No, no, back to Julia. Kissing her, yeah that was nice. Her pink frosted lip balm tasted like Doctor Pepper and… Link bending over as if to kiss Rhett only to pull a lime out of his mouth. He wondered what Link’s kiss would taste like. Probably peanut butter and mini wheats as those seemed to be his two main food groups. Rhett wouldn’t mind though.

He stroked himself harder and faster, so close he didn’t even care if Link woke up. Of course Link could sleep through anything. Rhett couldn’t help it. He clamped his free hand over his mouth to mute himself as he came hard all over his chest and belly. He grabbed his dirty shirt off the floor and did a half hearted job at cleaning himself off before he let sleep take over.


	6. Everlong

**Everlong**

_ And I wonder _

_ When I sing along with you _

_ If everything could ever feel this real forever _

_ If anything could ever be this good again _

_ The only thing I'll ever ask of you _

_ You got to promise not to stop when I say when _

\- Foo Fighters (1997)

Link kicked open the door of the dorm room. His hands were full of bags and packages. There was no way he would be able to shut it properly until he set it all down. He dropped the load on the bed and closed and locked the door. Link didn't want Rhett walking in unannounced before he had time to set up the big surprise he had been planning all week.

Things had improved so much between the two. They were spending time together like actual roommates now. Sharing meals and going to parties, complaining about professors and studying together. They had even gone to a Wolfpack football game. Sure, Rhett ate all of Link's nachos and fussed the whole way home about how they lost because John missed a tackle, but the pair had a great time. It was refreshing and comfortable. Rhett had called Link his best friend after a party last week and even though he shrugged it off at the time, it set his heart to racing when he thought about it now. 

Link looked over the pile of grocery store bags on his bed and the large box he had brought in from Blockbuster video. Rhett was a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino‘s  _ Reservoir Dogs _ . It was the one film that he and Link were able to really connect over. They had spent hours discussing the cinematography and the soundtrack and how the storytelling was innovative. So when his new film  _ Pulp Fiction _ was released on VHS, Link knew that a movie night in their dorm room would be the perfect way to show Rhett his appreciation. 

School was so much easier when he had a full night's sleep. His grades improved and the aches and pains he had gotten so used to from sleeping on the floor were completely gone. Link still slept in his sleeping bag on top of the covers as requested, but at least he no longer had the cold tile pushing against his back and shoulders. This movie night was a thank you for Rhett, but to be honest the thought of spending alone time with him in the dark of their room was more exciting than any “study session” Link had with John all year. There was no denying it, he was drawn to Rhett. Taking the body shot off his belly last week was everything. The feeling of Rhett’s tender skin under his tongue and the firm hold Rhett had on his hips had gotten him hard instantly. Link thought Rhett was cute since the first time they met, but now there was no question about it… Rhett made him HOT. 

He took a minute to decide what to do first. Getting the VCR set up was the most important thing, without that there’d be no movie, so he set about the task of getting it working. He moved the small TV that Rhett had brought from home off the top of the dresser and placed it on a chair at the foot of their bed. Luckily, Blockbuster Video had recently started renting out VCRs and Link still had a bit of money saved from his summer job of mowing lawns. He didn’t like to dip into that security fund very often, but he thought that this was an important enough occasion that he could spend a little of it without too much guilt. After a good half hour of figuring out how to connect the VCR to the TV and which station to set the TV on in order to receive a signal, Link was finally successful. He slipped the tape into the VCR and pressed play. Sure enough a “coming soon” preview appeared on the screen. 

Once he got the AV component of their evening all set up and ready to go, it was time to lay out the snacks. He popped three bags of popcorn and poured them into a large plastic bowl he found in the community kitchen. He laid out all the boxes of candy he bought on the foot of the bed and set the bowl of popcorn next to it. He rearranged the skittles, M&Ms, and other sweet treats several times. Link wanted everything to be perfect for Rhett. He fluffed their pillows and straighten the blankets on the bed. Link hesitated a moment and then quickly removed the sleeping bag from it’s normal place. _It’ll be fine... we’re not sleeping. We’re just watching a movie... like two friends at the movies off campus._ _But here we can eat all the popcorn and candy we want_. 

Just as Link had finished putting on his comfy clothes, grey sweats and a R.E.M. t-shirt, he heard the sound of a key turning in the door. Rhett popped the top of his head in just a bit. 

“Why's the door locked, dude?! Can I come in? … Do you have a guy in there?”

Link laughed, “No, man! Come in, you idiot. It's just me.” He grabbed the door and pulled it open wide. 

Rhett dropped his backpack and stood still in the doorway for a moment. He took in the scene before him. 

“What's all this?” He asked with genuine curiosity. 

Link grabbed him by the arm and pulled him forward into the center of the room slamming the door shut behind them. 

“Surprise!” He exclaimed. “I wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?” Rhett's brows furrowed, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. 

“You know… all the stuff we been doin’ and how you've been helpin’ me study and honestly for sharing the bed with me. It's made a huge difference and I just feel so much better so…. Thanks!” Link wrapped his arms around a stunned Rhett and squeezed. He took a deep breath as he buried his nose in Rhett's grey Henley shirt. He smelled like the crisp fall air of the quad. Being this close to Rhett made Link's stomach flip and his head swim. He pulled back and looked up at his friend. Had he made a mistake? Would Rhett be put off by his gratitude?

A small smile spread across the taller man's face. In a hushed voice he said, “That’s really nice. Thanks, Link.” Rhett’s arms were still wrapped around Link’s shoulders. Link could feel the flush creeping up his neck and decided to step back before he embarrassed himself by raising up on his tiptoes and doing something they’d both regret.

“Tah-dah!” Link proclaimed with an exaggerated flourish toward the bed. “Our own personal viewing party for, drum roll please,…. Pulp Fiction.” 

“No way!” Rhett’s excitement was written all over his face. “Lemme see the box.”

Link handed him the VHS case. Rhett turned it over in his hands reading the blurbs and synopsis. “This is freaking awesome! How did you get this?”

“I knew it was being released today and I didn’t have any morning classes, so I waited at Blockbuster for them to open and snagged it before they were all gone.” Link was so proud of himself. He could see how pleased Rhett was. His instincts were right. This was just the kind of thank you Rhett would enjoy. 

“But we don’t have a VCR.” Rhett’s smiled dropped a bit. 

“No problem, buddyroll, they rent them at Blockbuster now too.” Link stepped to the side to reveal the tv set up. “I had to put it on the floor because the cords weren’t long enough so be careful and don’t step on it.”

Rhett walked to the foot of the bed and looked over the snacks that Link had place there. “You thought of everything. Seriously, man, this is really great.” That light, sweet tone was back in Rhett’s voice and it was doing things to Link’s body. He felt his hands tingle and he fidgeted with them for something else to focus on. 

“Well, you better get changed, sucker, before I eat all the Reese’s Pieces myself.” Link said as he walked over to his side of the bed. He hoped the joke would alleviate some of the tension in the room and his nerves as well. 

Rhett had already pulled his shirt off and was searching through his dresser for sweats. “You better not, jerk. I’ll pound you if I have to.” Link rolled his eyes and blushed at Rhett’s threat. 

For the next two hours, the pair were in heaven. The movie was everything they had wanted and more. Packed with action, amazing writing, and some of the best acting they had ever seen. Rhett was pretty sure it was the best movie soundtrack he had ever heard as well. Every time a song came on that they both knew, they sang it together. The boys were surprised by their own effortless harmonies. 

By the end of the film, the popcorn was gone and all that remained of the candy was a few M&Ms. Their bellies were full and sore from all the snacks. Rhett and Link both leaned back against the wall at the head of their bed. They talked quietly about the things the week ahead held for them. Rhett had a paper due in English Comp and Link was supposed to shoot a basketball practice for a story for the Technician, NC State’s newspaper. The hour was late, so they spoke in hushed tones. 

Rhett looked to his left, “That was so freaking good, man. Thanks for putting it all together. You're like The Wolf at organizing stuff.” 

Link just smiled back warmly at his friend. The room was quiet and the boy’s eyelids were heavy with sleep. 

“Our voices sounded really good together when we were singing. Do you wanna try another song?” Link asked as he slipped further down into the blankets.

“Sure,” said Rhett, “Do you know that new Foo Fighters’ song, Everlong?”

As they lay side by side facing each other in bed Link began singing, “Hello, I’ve waited here for you…”

Rhett replied, “Everlong. Tonight, I throw myself into…”

They continued back and forth. Singing with Rhett felt like the best thing in the world to Link. It was an almost spiritual experience combining his voice with Rhett’s in such an intimate way. As he sang the surprisingly romantic song, Link couldn’t help but study Rhett’s face. His eyes were a strange shade of grey-green and his eye lashes were remarkably long. Link found the way the little mole above Rhett’s full lips moved hypnotizing. Rhett’s gaze was so strong. It was as if he was singing to Link instead of with him. It gave Link a burning warmth inside his chest. He was blissfully happy. 

His lids grew heavier and he drifted off to sleep to Rhett’s voice singing, “Breathe out, so I can breathe you in, hold you in…”

* * *

As a groggy Link slowly came to consciousness, he opened one eye. He couldn't see much. The room was pitch black except for his alarm clock on the dresser which showed 3:20 a.m. They must've fallen asleep. There was something warm at his back and a heavy weight over his legs. Both Link's eyes popped open as he quickly became fully conscious and realized he was tangled up with Rhett! 

He hadn't put his sleeping bag back in place before they dozed off and now here he was in Rhett's arms. The taller man had a leg thrown over Link's thighs and an arm around his waist. He took a moment to think about the best way to slip away. It was hard to concentrate with Rhett’s warm breath on the back of his neck. It sent goosebumps down his arms and all the way to his thighs. Link would give anything to stay here. To turn around in Rhett's arms and press kisses into his chest. To slide his hand into Rhett's boxers and stroke the hardness he felt currently pressing into his backside. 

As amazing as it felt to be this close to Rhett, he knew this could end very badly. Link leaned forward a bit and slowly began sliding his legs away from his bedmate, trying to escape the man’s hold without waking him. As he started to roll over, Rhett’s arm gripped tight around his waist and pulled him back flush with the large chest behind him. Rhett buried his nose in Link’s hair and mumbled, “s’okay… m’cold.” 

Link lay still as a log until he felt Rhett’s body drift back to sleep and he could finally let himself relax. He didn’t want to think about what this meant. He only wanted to focus on how wonderful it felt to be here in this bed with this man, until sleep took him under again. 


	7. Hey Man, Nice Shot

**Hey Man, Nice Shot **

_ That's why I say _

_ Hey man nice shot _

_ A good shot man _

_ That's why I say _

_ Hey man nice shot _

_ What a good shot man _

-Filter (1995)

Rhett didn't mind so much that Link's sleeping bag never reappeared after their movie night. He was always vigilant after that first night though. He made sure to sleep with his back to Link, body rigid and limbs in check lest he find himself embarrassingly cuddling his roommate again. 

Link, on the other hand, slept with reckless abandon. Rhett woke up to his alarm with Link's long leg thrown over Rhett's waist. Link snored lightly in his ear. "Man, stay on yer side," Rhett said, throwing Link's leg off him in mock annoyance. Truthfully, he thought it was funny. He thought everything his doofus of a roommate did was funny. 

Link barely wrenched one eye open. "Too early," he groaned as he rolled away from Rhett, who instantly missed the weight and heat of Link's leg. 

"You're shooting our practice today, remember? You got five minutes to get dressed, brother." 

Link grumbled and eventually pulled himself out of bed. His inky black hair stuck up every which-way. Rhett pulled on his practice uniform and waited patiently, seated at the end of the bed. He tried not to let his eyes wander as Link pulled on a pair of tight Levis, a black t-shirt and an old ratty army jacket. He slung his camera bag over his shoulder and nodded that he was ready to go. 

The mismatched pair of artist and athlete trudged across campus to the athletic centre. It was still dark and Link made no attempt to stifle his yawns. "You really get up this time every morning?" he asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

"Every morning," Rhett replied. 

They walked the rest of the way in silence, Air Jordans and Doc Marten' crunching through the leaves. 

Practice began as normal. Rhett tried not to feel self conscious that Link was documenting everything for the school paper. Rhett couldn't help but notice that Link's camera was mostly trained on him. Link even went so far as to drop to his belly on the lacquered court, his camera pointed up as Rhett performed a perfect lay-up. 

"Hey," Chris Bourgette, the star point guard barked at Link. "how about taking pictures of players who matter?!" Link rolled his eyes, lifted his camera, and without looking in the viewfinder, or adjusting the aperture, snapped a photo of Chris, then returned his attention to Rhett. 

The practice continued without much disruption. Chris kept rolling his eyes at Link and whispering to the other players under his breath but that’s as far as it went. 

Practice wrapped up and Rhett hit the showers. He was pleased with his performance. Assistant coach Reynolds had even congratulated him on his form. It felt good to be noticed. It seemed Link was his lucky charm. Or maybe he just wanted to perform for his friend and roommate. Either way, he felt on top of the world. 

He finished his shower quickly, knowing Link was waiting outside for him so they could go to breakfast. He toweled off in front of his locker and pulled on his boxers. 

"Hey," Bourgette said, slamming his locker closed next to Rhett's head. "Nice of your  _ girlfriend _ to come take your glamour shots." He shoved Rhett into the metal locker roughly as he walked past.

Rhett rubbed his shoulder and tried to blink back tears that formed on his lashes. "Asshole," he muttered under his breath as he pulled on his clothes. He winced as he slung his backpack over his shoulder which was already starting to bruise from contact with the locker. 

He rounded the corner to see Link, framing a shot through his camera. He carefully adjusted the aperture and zoom and he pressed the button with a determined  _ click.  _ "Last shot," he said as he took a quick snap of Rhett. He smiled as he turned a dial, winding the film back. He pressed a latch and opened the camera, removed the roll of film, and placed it safely in its plastic canister. 

Rhett couldn't help but smile. Just being with Link made him forget the Bourgette nastiness. His stomach growled audibly. 

Link rolled his eyes sarcastically. "God. Let's get you breakfast." He said as he shoved his camera back in its bag. 

* * *

The pair sat in an on campus coffee shop. Link had a bagel with cream cheese and a large black coffee. Meanwhile, Rhett had a pile of food in front of him. Two bacon and egg sandwiches, three doughnuts, a massive Cinnamon roll and an earl grey tea. When he brought his over to the table, Link's eyes went wide with awe at his huge meal. "I'm a big man, Link. I eat a big breakfast," he grinned as he slid into his seat. 

The table was small and the restaurant crowded with the morning breakfast rush. Rhett's long legs practically wrapped around Link's chair while Link's slid under his. Despite them being too big for the space, they awkwardly found a way to fit together. 

Rhett inhaled his massive breakfast while Link took small bites and chewed his bagel thoroughly. 

"Can I ask you somethin'?" Rhett asked with a mouth full of Cinnamon bun. 

"Sure," Link took a sip of his coffee. 

"What's it like being…y'know…" he nodded as if Link was supposed to know what he was talking about. 

"Uhh… Gay?" 

"Yeah," Rhett shoved more Cinnamon bun in his mouth. 

"Well," Link paused to adjust his glasses. "I come from a real small town. Like less than a thousand. So I spent my whole life trying to hide. Didn't stop everyone from callin' me a sissy. Shovin' me into lockers in highschool." 

Rhett's stomach flipped and he subconsciously rubbed his shoulder. All of a sudden he wasn't hungry anymore. 

"Now, I mean, at least people make fun of me to my face. But it's better. I can be who I am. I told my mama last summer. She was upset at first but now she's okay. My dad was never really around so I don't know how he feels. Doesn't matter I guess." Link sadly fiddled with the paper sleeve on his coffee cup. 

Rhett's stomach churned again. His felt hot and overwhelmed. He checked his watch. "You got class at eight?" 

"Yeah, intro to documentary film, you?"

" I have English lit but I think in gonna skip. Not feeling so hot." 

"Yeah, lookin' a little pale, brother. I'll walk you back to the dorm. Yer on my way." 

"Thanks, Link." Rhett wanted to hug him. Tell him he was brave and the strongest guy he knew. But instead they walked silently, side by side.

* * *

"Don't be mad at me," Link said with a mischievous grin as he revealed a copy of The Technician with Rhett on the front page, gracefully dunking a basket. The photo was dramatic and powerful. Rhett looked strong and determined. Rhett was stunned for a moment. He took the paper from Link and read the caption under the photo

_ Rhett McLaughlin, star shooting guard, poised to lead the team to victory.  _

"Link! I've never even gotten off the bench!" 

"Yeah well. Now you're the one to watch," he winked at Rhett who could only shake his head in dismay. 

"This photo is somethin' else though. Think I could get a copy for my mama? Maybe I'll get a nice frame, give it to her for Christmas." 

"I got some time in the dark room booked. Tomorrow at five. You around? I can show you how it's done. Pretty cool, actually." 

"Yeah! Sounds good." Rhett carefully folded the newspaper and tucked it in a drawer for safekeeping.

* * *

Rhett rushed out of his statistics class to meet Link at the arts building. He didn't want to be late, and there was a hint of excitement in his steps as he walked briskly across campus. He'd never been allowed to pursue artistic endeavours, although he'd always wanted to try his hand and painting or maybe acting. But from the time he was little, it was eat, sleep and breathe basketball. "God gave you the gift of being tall," his dad would say. "Gotta use that gift, boy." 

Link sat on a bench outside the building, jotting notes down in his journal. Noticing Rhett, he gave a dorky wave and a lopsided smile that lit up his whole face. He tucked his journal in his bag and met Rhett at the door. 

The pair made their way through the halls until they reached the dark room. Outside of it was a room with light desks, camera equipment, and supplies. Link dug through his bag and found the negatives he'd already processed. He unrolled the spool and laid it flat on the light table. "This one, right?" he pointed to a square and handed Rhett a small magnifying glass that fit over the negative. 

It was hard to make sense of what he was looking at, at first. The image in negative. His skin was dark, his uniform light, but as his eyes adjusted he recognized the form of his body as he threw the ball into a perfect arc. "Yeah, that one," he said handing the magnifying glass to Link. 

"Cool," Link said. He gathered up the negatives and let Rhett towards the dark room. 

They entered a small vestibule, barely big enough for the two of them. It was completely dark aside from a tiny red light that indicated where the door handle was to the darkroom. "This way no light gets in on accident." Link explained as the door behind them closed and they were sunk into total darkness. He fumbled around for the handle and opened the second door. 

It took a minute for Rhett's eyes to adjust to the eerie red light. Everything was neon red; even Link looked like some sort of devil. But his calm demeanor put Rhett at ease. 

"Alright. First, we gotta put the negative into the enlarger." He fed the strip of film into the machine until it was centered on the image he wanted. His long fingers adjusted various knobs and dials, letting more light through the negative and sharpening up the image. "How's that look?"

Rhett looked over Link's shoulder. "Good?" he said, thoroughly unsure if it looked good or not. 

Link turned off the light flowing through the enlarger and slipped a piece of photosensitive paper underneath it. "Here, forty five seconds should do it, on my count," he said, handing Rhett an egg timer. Rhett turned the dial to forty five seconds "three-two-one." Link flipped the light on the enlarger, projecting the image onto the paper. Rhett watched intently even though nothing was really happening. The timer went off and Link turned off the enlarger. As he did, the image disappeared from the pepper. 

"What the heck?" Rhett exclaimed. 

"Here," he said, exchanging the timer in Rhett's hand for a pair of tongs. Rhett raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with them. 

"Pick up the paper and gently slide it into the developer," he motioned to a wide flat tray full of liquid. 

Rhett carefully lowered the photo paper, which appeared to be blank, into the developer bath, as Link set the timer for a minute. 

"See how the back of the tray is on an angle? Gently rock it back and forth so the developer moves over the photo." 

"Like this, Link?" Rhett whispered as he gently rocked the tray. 

"Yeah, Rhett. That's good. Just like that." 

Goosebumps rose on Rhett's arms from Link's praise. As he gently rocked the tray, the image began to form. Ghostly at first but then dramatic in shades of grey.

"it's working!" Rhett said, completely astonished by the whole process. 

The timer went off, pulling Rhett from the meditative gentle rocking of the developer tray. 

"Good, now use your tongs and transfer it to the next bath for ten seconds." 

Rhett gingerly pulled the photo out of the developer and into the next bath. "This is called stop. It stops the developer from over processing the picture. In a few seconds we'll put it into the fix for a minute to fix the image onto the paper." 

The timer went off again. 

"okay move it into the fix, Rhett." 

Rhett held his breath as he slid it into the third tray, his tongue stuck out awkwardly as he concentrated on rocking the fluid over the image. "Easy now," Link said softly. Rhett slowed down, watching as the fix washed over the photo like waves on the shore. A minute later, the timer went off again. 

"Awesome! Now pull it out and put it in the sink." Rhett transferred it to a shallow sink and Link turned the water on to a slow trickle. "Gotta let the chemicals wash off for about five minutes." 

"How does it look? Did I do okay?" 

"It's perfect, Rhett," Link smiled up at him and adjusted his glasses. 

Rhett breathed a sigh of relief. "What's with the photography? I thought you were a film major?" 

"Well if I can't tell a story in one frame how am I supposed to tell one at twenty-four frames per second?" Link pushed himself up on the counter, eye to eye with Rhett. 

"What story's in this picture? Tall idiot dunks basket?" Rhett chuckled to himself. 

"To me this photo shows a man who's strong and determined and powerful. But also graceful and soft. If you lobbed the ball at the goal full force it wouldn't go in. You need finesse. You're graceful, like a dancer. I love that. I wish you could see yourself like I see you."

Suddenly Rhett was keenly aware of how close he was to Link. Sitting on the counter, Link was practically Rhett's height. He wasn't sure if he should blame it on the chemicals, the close proximity, or the weird red light, but he took a step forward and his hands found Link's waist.

"Rhett?" Link's eyes went wide. They looked pale and wild even in the intoxicating red light of the dark room. His full lips parted in surprise. He'd never looked more beautiful. 

Rhett leaned in and his lips met Link's. 

Link squealed with surprise, but quickly settled into the kiss. Rhett could swear he felt Link smile as their lips softly touched. Rhett grew bolder, encouraged by Link's response, and his tongue pushed past Link's full lips into his mouth. 

Rhett might have collapsed right then and there if Link's legs hadn't wrapped around him, holding him upright, pushing him deeper into the kiss. 

_ Brrriiiiinggggggg _ … The timer went off indicating the photograph was done being washed. Rhett snapped back to reality and pulled away from Link. Shame quickly washed over him. The red light of the dark room combined with the heat of Link's kisses made him feel like he was burning in hellfire. 

He turned to run. He fumbled with the door in the pitch black antechamber between the darkroom and outside. He could hear Link banging around attempting to chase after him but once Rhett pushed through students in the hallways and made it outside, he was unstoppable. He ran as fast as he could, thankful he had his car keys on him. 

It only took him ten minutes to get to his destination but his heart was still pounding in his ears as the apartment door opened. "Rhett? What's wrong?" Cole asked, concerned about the state of his baby brother. 

Rhett sighed, the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Can I crash here?" 


	8. Say it Ain't So

**Say It Ain’t So**

_ Say it ain't so _

_ Your drug is a heartbreaker _

_ Say it ain't so _

_ My love is a life taker _

-Weezer (1995)

It had been three days since the incident in the dark room. Link hadn’t seen Rhett anywhere on campus; not in the quad, not in the dining hall, not in the library. He hadn’t even gotten a phone call letting him know Rhett was ok. The fear set heavy in Link’s chest. He wasn’t sure what he was really afraid of. Whether it was Rhett being dead in a ditch somewhere or the idea that Rhett would never speak to him again. Either way, the thoughts ate away at Link’s nerves. 

Link had always imagined that sleeping in the king size bed alone would be heavenly, but the last two nights had felt lonely and miserable. He couldn’t get comfortable in the big bed and sleep had been elusive. The memory of the kiss he and Rhett had shared played over and over again in his mind. Rhett’s hands on his hips, the way Rhett’s soft tongue pushed into his mouth, the desperate sounds that Rhett made as Link wrapped his legs around Rhett’s hips. It was everything he had been fantasizing about for months and it was over in an instant when Rhett panicked and ran away. Link tried to catch up with him, but he was just too fast. Those long legs and that basketball player’s stride carried him across campus and to his car in a flash. Link could only stand and watch as he tore out of the parking lot. 

The morning of the third day had started the same as the others. Link rolled out of bed threw on some clothes and dragged himself over to the dining hall to grab a muffin and a coffee. As he had done the last two mornings, he scanned around the room looking for any tall figure that stood out above everyone else, but there was no Rhett to be seen. Link went to class, took his notes, and spoke to John in Calc, but the sad look he wore on his face and the way his shoulders hung heavy made it clear he didn’t want to interact more than that. 

That afternoon as he crossed the courtyard, he saw Julia coming out of Harrelson Hall. He jogged over and grabbed her elbow to get her attention. 

“Hey, Link. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good. Listen, have you seen Rhett?” Link tried to keep his tone light and playful. 

“Yeah, he was working out in the players weight room this morning. I asked him why I hadn’t seen him around the last couple of days and he said he’s been staying with his brother off-campus? Something about being homesick.” 

A wave of relief washed over Link. 

“I gotta go. I’m late to class, but we should definitely eat together tonight since Rhett’s back.” She gave Link a side hug and jogged off towards the communications building. 

“Yeah, sounds good.” Link said with an awkward wave of his hand. 

In a daze of emotions Link stumbled to his last class of the day. On one hand he was ecstatic to hear that Rhett was okay, on the other he was a ball of anxiety about what it would be like when they were finally face to face. Would they argue? Discuss it like adults? Would Rhett fall into his arms? If he was honest the last option sounded like the best. Only time would tell. 

After class Link stopped at the student union building to check his P.O. Box and grab a copy of a novel he needed for English Lit from the book store. The truth of the matter was he was stalling. A million scenarios had raced through his mind of what could happen when he got back to their dorm room and not all of them good. Link walked back to Syme slowly and as the front steps came into view he rallied his courage.  _ “Whatever happens, happens.” _

Link quickened his pace as he walked down the hall to room 24. He found the door propped open and the lyrical words of Dr. Dre & Snoop coming from inside. As Link stepped inside and dropped his backpack on the floor, he found Rhett laid out across their bed focused on his Algebra textbook. All the emotions Link had felt in the darkroom came crashing back to the surface. A warmth spread across his chest and up his neck where it met the nervous smile he focused on Rhett.

“Hey, man.” Link hesitated as if he were approaching a wounded animal 

Rhett glanced up, “Hey, dude. How was class?” He quickly returned his focus to the equations he was working on. 

“Uh, it was good. No homework, but I do have to study for a calc test,” Link replied. He was surprised by the casual nature of their conversation. “Any chance you could help me?” Link hoped Rhett would understand this was an invitation to get closer. 

Rhett kept his eyes focused down on his work and spoke at a rapid pace. “No can do. I have a ton of stuff to catch up on since I was gone the last couple of days. It was great to see my brother, but gotta get back on the grind. Coach was pissed I missed practice yesterday, but I told him I was sick and he gave me a pass. He’ll be watching me though, so I can’t slip up again...”

Link stood there in a state of confusion and watched Rhett as he rambled on about the events of his day. 

He continued, “... Julia called right before you walked in and asked if we could meet her for dinner at six. I told her yeah. Is that cool with you?” 

With this Rhett finally looked up at Link full on. He had an air of casual indifference that sparked a small flame of frustration in Link’s chest. 

“Six is good,” was all Link replied before sitting at the desk and slamming down his math notebook with a thud. He shuffled his papers and straightened all his pens in a neat line.  _ “He’s going to act like nothing happened and it didn’t affect him. Well, two can play that game,”  _ Link thought to himself. The room sank into silence as the two boys worked alone. 

* * *

For the next several days Rhett’s behavior continued to baffle Link. He acted as if they had never been in the darkroom together, as if there had been no connection and no kiss. Life went on as it always had. Rhett and Link continued to go to class and return to their dorm room in the evenings. They continued to eat in the dining hall with Julia on nights when she didn't have practice. Rhett was much more handsy with her now. He was always putting an arm around her or brushing her hair out of her face, and he insisted on carrying her tray to the trash can. It was almost as if he was clinging to her like some kind of life preserver. Link couldn’t help but watch Rhett’s display of affection and think that those hands should be on his body instead, those lips should be whispering sweet things in his ear instead of hers. 

Rhett never showered in the dorms any more and he always made sure to change in the bathroom now. No more parading around in his boxers and nothing else. No more sweaty uniforms or crisp white towels wrapped around his hips. Link was annoyed at the nerve Rhett had to act as if he wouldn’t be able to control himself from touching if he got a glimpse of Rhett’s pasty white belly. 

It was the worst at bedtime. Rhett stayed up as late as possible every night studying and letting Link drift off to sleep by himself. Link could only assume this was so they couldn’t talk in the hushed tones they had become so accustomed to as they lay in bed together. The dark afforded a certain level of vulnerability and it seemed Rhett wasn’t going to let himself be tempted again. Rhett slept barely clinging to the edge of the bed now. He had never cuddled with Link after that first time, but he had never shied away from letting Link snuggle into his side in the middle of the night either. There was no more of that now. If Link's arm or leg should happen to travel to Rhett’s side of the bed inadvertently, Rhett was very quick to wake him up and ask him to roll over. 

The way Rhett was behaving, or not behaving, was ripping Link’s heart in two. He would rather live with the angry, asshole Rhett from the beginning of the semester than this cold, closed off shell of a person. And the longer it went on the more Link was left to fester like a volcano just waiting to blow.

* * *

Link sat at the desk typing out his English essay on the portable typewriter his mom had gotten him as a graduation present. With Rhett at a late basketball game, the room was peacefully quiet except for the clickity clack of the keys. 

BAM!! The door swung open violently and slammed against the wall. Rhett walked in and threw his gym bag down on top of Link’s backpack and closed the door with another careless shove.    


“We did it! We won again, man.”

Link was living on edge lately. Being startled out of his peaceful headspace just made matters worse. 

“Great. Good for you.” Link rolled his eyes. “You made me rip my paper when you came in like a madman. Now I have to type the whole damn thing over again.” He yanked the essay out of the typewriter, crumpled it up, and threw it at Rhett. 

“And get your shit off my backpack.” Link kicked Rhett’s gym bag across the room. “It may be  _ your room _ ,” he used air quotes to amplify his sarcasm, “but that doesn’t mean you get to disrespect me and my stuff.”

“Geez, man, sorry. What’s your problem?” Rhett’s snarky tone only served to feed Link’s growing flame of anger. 

“What’s my problem? Are you fucking kidding me?” Link hopped up out of the chair and before Rhett knew what had happened Link was in front of him pushing two fingers into his chest. “How about what’s your problem, asshole?”

Rhett stood still like a cornered animal unsure of what to do. Every emotion and disappointment Link had been holding in over the course of the week came spilling out.

“First you treat me like shit and make fun of me, throw my stuff around and act like I have a disease you don’t wanna catch...,” the words spewed out of Link’s mouth, “...then you fucking kiss me and run away like a scared puppy only to come back and act like nothing ever happened. That’s messed up, Rhett.”

Rhett threw his hands up in protest and took a step back, “Wait just a minute, buddy, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You kissed me!”

“Bullshit!” Link yelled as he continued to advance on Rhett until the back of his knees hit the bed. “You put your hands on my hips, you pushed your tongue in my mouth, and you moaned my name while you did it.” They were so close that Link had to look up at Rhett to see his face clearly. He could feel Rhett’s breath ghosting across his lips. “And now you’re just fucking scared.”

The tension in the room was unbearable. Link’s chest ached from the hole Rhett had left there. The pair stood and stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Their gazes danced across each other’s faces in a pattern from eyes to lips and back again. The temptation to reach up and plant one on Rhett’s mouth to prove he was right was almost too much to resist. Just as Link was considering how Rhett’s kiss would taste, Rhett grabbed Link abruptly and spun him around so his back was pressed against Rhett’s front. One long arm was wrapped tight around Link’s shoulders pinning his arms to his sides and holding him flush against Rhett’s chest. 

Rhett whispered gruffly in Link’s ear, “Always gotta run that mouth, don’t you? Always have something to say.” Link grabbed onto Rhett’s forearm and tried to wrestle his way out of the hold. “Why can’t you just leave it alone?” Rhett growled. 

Rhett wrapped his other arm around Link’s waist and lifted him up like he weighed nothing. He tossed him on the bed before them and quickly pounced on top of his roommate.

“I’m dead,” he mumbled against the back of Link’s head.

Rhett’s full weight rested on Link’s body pressing his face into the mattress. “What the hell are you doing? Get off me!” Link turned his head and yelled at the top of his lungs. Rhett didn’t move. Instead he let his body go limp and laid flush on Link. 

“Can’t. I’m dead.” 

Link kicked his legs and bucked his hips up in hopes of throwing the giant boy off. They continued to grapple for several minutes, shifting against each other. Their bodies straining to force the other to submit. The more Link squirmed the harder Rhett held him down. Their breathing turned heavy and their hearts raced. Finally, Rhett spread his legs and hooked his feet around Link’s ankles to anchor him to the spot. 

Rhett spoke in a high, uneasy tone, “Now listen to me. You kissed me. I was just mindin’ my own business and the next thing I know you were all over me. I like you, Link. You’re a really good guy, but that’s all we are is friends.” The desperation was clear in his voice, almost as if he were pleading for Link to agree with him so they could move on and forget it ever happened. 

“You’re lying to yourself and you know it.” Link insisted. With one last burst of energy, he wiggled an arm loose and jabbed an elbow into Rhett’s ribs. He snaked his other hand around and gave Rhett’s ear a hard tug. Rhett reflexively pulled away from Link just enough for the smaller man to roll in place. He ended up on his back underneath Rhett, so close that he could make out each individual blonde eyelash above him. 

Rhett straddled Link and grabbed his wrists planting Link’s hands aside his head on the bed. Link caught Rhett’s gaze and held it for a beat before whispering the words, “It can be our secret.” 

The room went silent. A stunned Rhett froze like a rabbit who was about to be caught in a snare. 

“No one has to know...,” Link slowly raised his head off the bed and brushed his lips against Rhett’s, “...just us.” He slipped his tongue out and touched it lightly to Rhett’s bottom lip. “It’s okay.”

As they stared at each other Link could see the fight leave Rhett’s body. The fear on his face was replaced with hunger as he pressed his lips to Link’s. Their mouths slotted together in perfect form. Lips and tongues searching for the answer to what was happening and hoping to find it in each other. 

Rhett breathed out a deep moan that sounded like a mixture of relief and desire. His hands left Link’s wrists and found their way into his soft dark hair. His thumbs caressed Link’s jaw line as he moved his kisses down to Link’s neck and then up to his ear. It was as if Rhett were a starving man and Link was the first meal he’d had in weeks. 

Link let his hands roam over Rhett’s body trying to memorize the forms and shapes just in case this never happened again. He threw his head back as Rhett found a sweet spot on his collar bone that sent a jolt of desire straight to his dick. Link gripped Rhett's ass through his shorts and pulled him closer. He lavished praise on Rhett, finally allowing himself to say all the things he’d been thinking for months. 

"Jesus, you’re amazing… you’re kisses feel like fire. You’re so fucking big and strong… it's so hot… made me hot from the first day.” 

Rhett returned to Link’s mouth just in time to catch the high whining sound he made as Rhett shifted his weight to the side and rested his hard cock on Link’s hip. When Rhett rutted himself into Link at the same time that he pressed a thigh against Link’s swollen shaft his mind went fuzzy around the edges. 

They continued this way as time seemed to stand still, sliding their tongues against each other as they rocked their bodies together. The dry burn of fabric against their sensitive cocks only added to the pleasure. Rhett was lost in it, planting kisses on any exposed skin he could find and ghosting his fingertips across Link’s face, mindlessly grinding his cock against Link’s body in a steady rhythm. 

Link’s hands found their way under Rhett’s tshirt and just as he passed a thumb over Rhett’s hard nipple, he felt a warmth spread against his hip. Rhett’s taut form and desperate moan confirmed what Link already knew. Rhett dropped his head to Link’s chest and let out a small sob. Link wrapped his arms around Rhett tightly. He wanted to hold his boy close, keep him safe. He rubbed a hand over Rhett’s short hair and whispered, “It’s okay, I got you.” 

Rhett looked up at Link from under damp eye lashes. He studied his face for a moment before planting a soft kiss on Link’s lips. 

“I’ve never done that before,” Rhett said quietly.

“Me neither,” Link replied with a soft smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up we're going to break for the holidays and come back at ya in the new year! Happy holidays everyone!


	9. Suck You Dry

**Suck You Dry**

_ Come a little closer _

_ Before I slide over _

_ Come on, I want you burn _

_ Come a little closer _

_ Before I take you over _

_ Come now, watch my burn _

-Mudhoney (1992)

Rhett fidgeted with his pen, absentmindedly tapping it on the arm of the sofa where he sat with his anthropology study group. He felt out of his league as his classmates discussed tribes in Papua New Guinea. He thought this class would be interesting, but it was just one big headache. 

Midterms had hit the roommates hard and they had barely seen each other all week. Rhett's time was divided between the gym, the library, and the computer lab. He pretty much only made it to the dorm to sleep. Link, on the other hand, was out late most nights shooting a short film with three of his classmates. He'd often be shooting 'til sun up, collapsing into bed after Rhett had already left for practice. 

It had been a week since they'd fooled around. The event played on a loop in Rhett's mind. The defiant look in Link's eyes as he challenged him, the way their bodies fit together, how Link was small but also strong as heck. All Rhett knew was he wanted more. The thought terrified him. 

His study session wrapped up and he headed back to Syme. He pulled two frozen Big Macs out of his dorm room freezer and threw them into the toaster oven to thaw. He and Link had resorted to leaving notes for each other on their shared desk. 

_ Last night of filming THANK GOD! Are you around tomorrow? Maybe we can hang out? -L _

Rhett thought for a moment and picked up the pen.

_ Gotta finish typing up my anthro paper but shouldn't take too long. Dinner? -R _

Rhett wondered what Link meant by _ hang out. _The thought of fooling around again was exhilarating but also panic inducing. Then again, goofing off like old buddies instilled a different type of panic. All he'd been thinking about all week was their encounter and whether or not there would be a repeat performance. 

The timer dinged on the toaster oven and once they were out, he scarfed down his burgers. It had been an exhausting day and he crawled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly. 

* * *

Rhett woke up to a pitch black room and a warm body curled around him. He buried his face in Link's dark hair and inhaled. Link smelled so inviting. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. Link sighed happily, snuggling in. 

* * *

Rhett's alarm pulled him rudely from his sleep. If he thought getting out of bed on a normal day was difficult, it was so much worse with Link wrapped up in his arms. He wanted to stay forever. It didn't help that he was hard as a rock. Link mumbled and yawned. "Missed you," he said sleepily. His head tilted up and his lips met Rhett's. 

It was a simple smooch, a sleepy token of Link's affection, but it was very clear that when Link meant _ hang out _ he wasn't talking about playing Donkey Kong in the common room. 

It took every ounce of strength for Rhett to pull himself away from Link and out of bed. By the time he got dressed, Link was already hugging Rhett's pillow and snoring lightly.

Practice went as well as could be expected given Rhett was still mentally in bed with Link, At least he didn't draw any negative attention from the coaches. After practice, he hit the gym and ran three miles on the treadmill in the hopes that he might find some focus. But all he could think about was spending time with Link. He knew it was wrong. His parents and his preacher had all made it clear as day. But anything he did to push Link from his thoughts failed. 

Rhett grabbed a quick breakfast and sat through a three hour lecture on medieval architecture. He cursed his choice to spend his freshman year with an undeclared major, but nothing had really grabbed his attention enough to be his fallback if the NBA didn't come calling. 

After his lecture, he headed to the computer lab. Rows and rows of IBMs sat on desks, the sound of keys clacking filled the otherwise empty room. Rhett found an open seat. He logged onto the computer and opened up his email. 

His dad, a university professor, also had email and he got a kick out of writing to his son. Rhett was the only non-colleague he knew that had email. Rhett would write with news of his basketball stats and endearing stories about his and Julia's courtship. Jim would print off the emails then take them home to Diane who would draft a response for him to type up. Mostly family news and Buies Creek gossip. 

_ Dear mom and dad. Coach says he's gonna put me in the next game. Cool huh? Midterms are going well. I'll be happy for them to be over though. By the way my gay roommate and I got each other off and I can't stop thinking about him. He drives me crazy in a way Julia never could and I don't know what to do. _

Rhett sighed and deleted the last two sentences. 

_ Julia says hi and thanks for the apple cobbler recipe. She made it for me last week in her common room kitchen and I ate the entire thing. (don't tell her but yours is still better, mom.) She's hoping to come up to meet y'all over Christmas break. _

_ Love, _

_ Rhett _

He clicked send. He retrieved a floppy disk from his backpack and inserted it into the drive. He opened up the word perfect document and his notebook on the desk beside him and began to type. His essay was nearly done. He just had to add the bibliography and some footnotes.

Satisfied with his annotations, he read through the essay, fixed a few awkward sentences, added a few forgotten commas, and then printed off his work. He rushed his completed work over to the anthropology department drop box and turned it in. 

He was starving; he'd skipped lunch to get his paper out of the way, but he wanted to get back to the dorm. Maybe have a shower before going to dinner with Link. He was already nervous about seeing Link. Nervous, but excited. 

He unlocked the door to room twenty-four to find Link sprawled out on their bed. Topless, grey sweatpants slung around his hips. 

"Hey!" Link said a little too enthusiastically. "You're uh, back early."

"you okay, man?" Rhett looked Link up and down. He seemed flushed, despite the room being cool. Rhett's gaze traveled downward until he saw the obvious tenting Link tried desperately to conceal in his pants. "oh god… were you? Fuck I'll go for a walk. Uh, twenty minutes good?" Rhett awkwardly scrambled to pick up his keys. 

"Rhett, wait. Sit down. It's okay." Link's tone was so soft and pleading that Rhett couldn't help but collapse in the desk chair. 

"I'm sorry I didn't expect you back so soon, and I thought I'd relieve some tension before we hung out. But you don't have to go, I don't want you to go."

Rhett's heart was pounding in his ears. "What do you want me to do?" His mouth was dry and a jolt of panic stuck him. "I'mnotreadytofuckyou" he blurted out. 

"Rhett, come here," he patted the bed beside him. Rhett sat on the bed beside Link, not quite allowing himself to relax. "This is all new for me too. I mean, I knew I liked boys back in kindergarten, but my town was so small there weren't many other guys to kiss, let alone do other stuff with." 

Link gently stroked Rhett's arm until his body began to relax and sink into the bed. "I know you're freaking out. And it's okay. So here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna jerk off. It's been a crazy week and I need this. And I want you to watch. Maybe join me if you want to. I'd fucking love that. But if you just want to watch that's okay. And if it's all too much and you wanna go for a walk and come back in a bit, we can hang out and go get dinner. But I want you to stay."

"Okay," Rhett said quietly. 

Link flashed his signature wide, toothy grin as he flopped back onto the bed and got comfortable. 

Rhett lay down on his side, facing Link. Link's hand dove beneath his waistband and he slowly stroked his cock. His eyelids fluttered and he moaned quietly. Rhett could feel his own erection growing, but he wasn't bold enough to do anything about it. He just wanted to watch Link. He was entranced by his little moans and how one hand traveled up to tweak a nipple which made his hips buck up into his hand. 

"...fuck," Rhett whispered. 

"Wanna see more?" Link teased, edging his sweatpants lower. 

"Oh gosh," Rhett felt like he might explode. Link freed himself from his pants, his hard cock enthusiastically bouncing as the elastic waistband pulled over it. 

"Holy crap!" Rhett said, his eyes wide at the sight of Link. Rhett had never seen a hard dick in real life aside from his own. Link's cock was long, with a slight curve to it whereas Rhett's was shorter, but thicker. 

Precome dripped from the tip which Link smeared over the head of his cock. He poured lotion in his hands and slowly smeared it over his shaft. He shivered slightly at the cold cream, but soon his long slender fingers were wrapped around his cock. 

"Feels so good, Rhett. I like havin' you watch me. God. Wish you were touchin' me, but just having you watch is so fucking hot." Link's back arched as he jerked off faster. 

Rhett palmed himself through his jeans. He was impossibly hard. He could feel the outline of his cock through the thick denim. He undid his fly and his hand slid into his boxers. Finally, he had skin on skin contact but it wasn't enough. Every moan that escaped Link's full lips made him need it more. 

Link was putting on a show for Rhett, moaning like a porn star as he played with his balls. 

"Fuck it," Rhett said, pulling off his clothes he lay down naked next to Link and matched Link's pace, stroking himself in time. 

"Shit Rhett, you're so thick. Oh my God. Fuck you're so hot."

They both turned on their sides, face to face. Their knuckles brushed against each others as they beat off together. 

"Wanna kiss you," Rhett said. 

"Don't have to ask Bo," Link replied, pressing his lips to Rhett. 

They were a mess of limbs and tongues, their kisses hot and unyielding. Link's leg wrapped around Rhett's hip, pulling him closer. 

"I'm so close," Rhett said, gasping for air as he chased his orgasm. 

"Wanna come in my mouth?" 

Rhett hadn't even considered it but when given the offer, all he could do was nod enthusiastically. 

Link swatted Rhett's hand away and took the head of Rhett's cock into his mouth while stroking his shaft. Rhett's head fell back on the pillow. As good as his hand felt, Link's mouth was downright magical. Warm and wet, his broad tongue swirled around the head of Rhett's dick. He took him deeper and his cheeks hollowed around it, providing just enough suction.

"Fuck baby, that feels so good. Oh shit. Oh my God. Link. Fuck. Don't stop. Jesus. Please." Rhett was a mess. He'd never felt anything so pleasurable in his entire life and he never wanted it to stop. But simultaneously, he wanted to come so bad he'd sell his soul for an orgasm. 

Link worked his shaft with a tight fist and his lips teased Rhett's sensitive head. His tongue slowly licked across Rhett's sensitive slit causing a shiver to ripple through his body only for Link’s tongue to travel down the veiny underside of his cock down to his balls. 

"So good baby. 'mmm so close." He gently wrapped his fingers in Link's long hair, encouraging him. 

Link took him deeper, gagging on his cock as he took Rhett all the way, his nose buried in his golden pubes.

The feeling of Link gagging on him, his throat closing around his cock sent Rhett over the edge. His entire body spasmed as he came in Link's hot mouth. 

He wrapped a long arm around Link's waist and pulled him up so he was straddling Rhett's lap. He pulled him in for another kiss. He could taste his own salty come on Link's lips, but he wasn't disgusted by it. 

Link jerked himself off as they kissed. He was so worked up, it only took a few strokes until he'd painted Rhett's chest and belly with his come. He collapsed into Rhett's arms, completely wrecked. 

Rhett lay back, taking Link with him they traded lazy kisses while cuddling. Link's hair was matted to his forehead, soaked with sweat. 

"That was amazing, Link."

Link grinned up at him. "We should get cleaned up, go get dinner." 

"I don't know if I can move," Rhett chuckled. 

"Come on, it's fried chicken night." 

"Yes! Could today get any better?" 

"After dinner we could go for round two?" Link winked. 

"Oh, hell yes!" Rhett exclaimed. 

The pair pulled themselves out of bed, cleaned up, and went down to the dining hall. Rhett got a double helping of chicken.. They sat at their usual table, tucked in the corner by the window. Maybe he was still riding high from his orgasm, but Rhett felt on top of the world. 

"You got a little-," Link said, leaning in and wiping Rhett's face with a napkin. Rhett gently held his wrist as Link flicked batter crumbs off Rhett's lips. 

"I swear, if I didn't know any better I'd think you two were a couple."

Rhett looked up to see Julia standing at their table, a tray of food in her hands.

"Jules!" Rhett said, managing to knock over his soda. He scrambled to pick it up. "I thought you had practice?" 

She put down her tray and pulled a chair over to the small table. " Some asshole clogged a shower in the girls locker room and it flooded. Gym’s closed while it dries out. Okay if I interrupt your little date?" 

Rhett laughed, a little too loudly. Link rolled his eyes and picked at his chicken. 

Julia bent down to kiss Rhett. He panicked for a moment,wondering if she could taste come on his lips. "I missed you, Rhett. Midterms have been kicking everyone's ass. I finished today. How about you guys?" 

"Yeah, all done. It sucked so hard though." Rhett took a big bite out of his drumstick. 

"Everyone's suffering," Julia said as she popped the top on her Crystal Pepsi. "I suppose that's good news for you two though. Someone's bound to drop out. Link can get their bed and Rhett can have his room to himself." 

"...Right," Link said, pushing his mashed potatoes around on his plate. 

"Rhett, you wanna go to the movies tonight? We’ve barely seen each other all week. _ Twister _is playing at The Cineplex at eight."

Rhett looked across the table at Link who gave him a shrug. 

"Um… Yeah. Sure, we can go right after dinner." 

Link stood and grabbed his half eaten tray. "I''ll let you guys spend some time together. Nothing worse than a third wheel. See ya later. Have fun at the movies." 


	10. Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover

**Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover**

_ “Damn I wish I was your lover _

_ I'll rock you till the daylight comes _

_ Make sure you are smiling and warm _ _ ” _

\- Sophie B. Hawkins, 1992

As Link left the dining hall and walked across the dark campus, he gave himself a pep talk. 

Yeah, he was hurt that Rhett had chosen to go to the movie with Julia instead of back to the room with him, but what had he expected? As nice as it was fooling around with Rhett, that’s all it was. They were friends and nothing more. Albeit, friends who got each other off and as of tonight sucked dick, but “just friends” nonetheless. Rhett had plans for the future and Link was well aware that a boyfriend wasn’t part of that. NBA players weren’t gay, they just weren’t. And besides Rhett didn’t have feelings for him, not like that anyway. 

Link kicked the leaves that had fallen on the sidewalk. 

So, why didn’t knowing all this make him feel any better? Why did his chest still ache like that time he ate a whole chili pepper on a dare? 

As he walked into Syme dorm, Link knew one thing for sure, this day had worn him out and all he wanted to do was go to bed.

* * *

Link had been asleep for a couple hours when he was awoken by a pair of cold feet sliding against his own. Rhett’s leg found a home between Link’s knees and he wrapped a large arm around his waist. He pulled Link in tight against his bare chest and placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder. 

“How was the movie?” Link mumbled.

“It sucked,” Rhett whispered into the back of Link’s neck, “shoulda stayed here with you.” He buried his nose in the black hair before him and inhaled deeply. Link could feel the tension leave Rhett’s body as the pair relaxed into sleep. 

* * *

Over the next couple of days they settled into a familiar pattern. They ate dinner with Julia and Rhett took her out occasionally, but he spent his nights in Link’s arms. When they had free time between classes or after homework, the boys made out and got off together. They had even spent an entire morning in bed the day practice had been canceled because of a power outage on campus. Rhett had taken it upon himself to find out just how sensitive Link’s nipples were that morning. When they were alone together in their dorm room it was like the outside world didn’t exist. They were all that mattered in those moments. Touching, tasting, learning what felt good and what felt even better. 

The weekend came and Rhett had an afternoon home game. Link went to as many of Rhett’s games as possible. He would only miss if he was filming or had an assignment for the paper. Rhett had slowly been getting more play time. The coach was gaining confidence in him and letting Rhett show the skills that had gotten him his scholarship. He had earned a reputation as the go to man for three pointers in the Wolf Pack. 

Link found his seat at the bottom of the bleachers that were already filling up. The Wolf Pack was having a great season on the court and the arena was sold out. Julia’s parents were in town, so she was spending the day with them instead of going to watch Rhett. Link intended to make up for it by cheering louder than anyone around him.

The sound of smooth hip-hop filled Reynolds Coliseum as the teams ran drills to warm up. The air was electric. There was something about today’s game. The Wolf Pack was playing their biggest rival UNC and it was predicted to be a fight to victory. As the buzzer rang out, the teams ran to their benches and had a final drink of Gatorade. 

“Bring The Pain” by Method Man played over the PA system and the announcer called out the names of the Wolf Pack’s starters. Each player took a step forward and raised a hand to the stands where the students and faculty sat. “Playing Shooting Guard for the Wolf Pack, Rhett McLaughlin.” Rhett took a step forward and raised both arms over his head and pointed right at Link. The crowd cheered. Link jumped up. “Holy shit! Woooooo!!” Rhett was starting and he was here to witness it. Link pumped a fist in the air and continued whooping and hollering for his friend. Rhett did his best to keep the smile from spreading across his face. He had to keep his head in the game. The ref blew his whistle and the centers took their spot for the tip off. 

The Wolf Pack dominated the first half. They were on fire up and down the court, making passes and getting rebounds. Rhett was a superstar. He made shot after shot, putting 3 points on the scoreboard each time. Link watched mesmerized as Rhett got a rebound and took the ball down the sideline for a lay up. Rhett was so close as he ran by that Link could see the sweat beading up on his skin. Link could practically reach out and touch him. “ _ If only, _ ” he thought. At halftime the Wolf pack was up by fifteen. 

Rhett sat out the 3rd quarter to rest. Link couldn’t take his eyes off of him as he sat on the bench panting with exhaustion and taking long pulls off his Gatorade sports bottle. His jersey was soaked with sweat and the water that Rhett had dumped over his head to cool off ran down the sides of his face and neck. Link swallowed thickly. He would give anything to lick those droplets off Rhett’s sweaty skin. 

Rhett sat with his elbows on the knees of his long legs, hunched over like a wild animal waiting to be released to the hunt again. He watched the game with intensity, but occasionally he would let his gaze wander to where Link was sitting. In those moments when their eyes met, Link could feel the weight of Rhett’s stare. It lit a fire in his belly that made his dick hard with need.

The fourth quarter started and Rhett was back on the court. They had lost some of their lead in the third, so once again, Rhett gave it his all. His booming steps pounded down the court as he ran one in and stopped short for another three. Link studied the long muscles of his legs as he jumped up to catch wild passes and the way his shoulders flexed rock hard when he made a jump shot. He was pretty sure watching Rhett play basketball was one of the hottest things he had ever seen. He had so much power and control. Knowing that he got to be with someone like that was absolutely thrilling, even if it was in secret. 

With just 2 minutes left in the game, Rhett took a hard elbow to the nose when he was coming down from grabbing a rebound. Link perched on the edge of his seat and did his best to restrain himself from running at the UNC guard who had made the hit. Rhett grabbed his nose and shoved his opponent’s arm out of his face. Coach called timeout. There was no blood, but Link watched as Rhett tried to shake the pain off. It was sure to be swollen tomorrow. The ref checked for any damage and Rhett had a good long drink of water then reentered the court. 

The last few seconds of the game were a flurry of the ball being driven up and down the court. Rhett caught a pass at the final buzzer and threw the ball from half court. Swish! Another 3 points. NC State was up by ten and the game was over. They had beaten UNC. 

The arena went nuts. The alumni and students all around Link high-fived and hugged each other. The roar of the crowd in celebration was deafening. Link cheered too, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the MVP of the game, Rhett. His teammates had surrounded him in a congratulatory celebration. They slapped him on the back and rubbed his shaved head in their excitement. Rhett was beaming. Link wanted to run over and jump into Rhett’s arms to congratulate him, but he knew now was not the time. Instead, he watched as Rhett headed back to the locker room with his team. Just as he was about to disappear into the swinging door, he turned and looked back at Link giving him a million dollar smile and a thumbs up. The warmth in Link’s belly bloomed in his chest too. It was a feeling of pride and a little something else that Link wasn’t quite ready to name. He would definitely be congratulating Rhett in his own way tonight. He raced out of the arena and back to the dorm. 

* * *

The door of 24 swung open and Rhett stepped inside. The sun was beginning to set on campus, and the dorm room was dark with shadows. Rhett dropped his duffel bag on the floor and bent over to untie his shoes.

“Link, you here? I thought you were going to wait for me so we could walk back together,” Rhett’s voice was tinged with a hint of sadness.

Link clicked on the desk lamp across the room and said, “I had a better idea.”

Rhett froze. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights to LInk, who was perched on the wooden desk all wrapped up like a present for the taking. Link wore nothing but Rhett’s extra basketball jersey and a huge smile. He sat with one of his long legs crossed underneath the other. The jersey was so big on him it came down to mid thigh and he was naked underneath. Link’s arms were on the desk behind him supporting his weight in a reclined position, so that Rhett’s number 30 was stretched across his wide chest. He swung his free leg back and forth in a playful manner. 

When Rhett’s gaze finally made the long journey up Link’s body and their eyes met, Link tilted his head to the side and said with a cocky grin, “I had to congratulate the Wolf Pack MVP somehow. Like whatcha see?”

“Y... I like… yeah,” Rhett couldn’t string a coherent thought together. Link slid off the desk and walked toward him. He stopped in front of Rhett, so close that his arousal pressed hard against Rhett’s thigh. Link reached up and placed a hand on the side of Rhett’s neck. “Looked pretty good out there on the court today, McLaughlin. Why don’t you show me some of those ball handling skills?” 

That was all it took. Rhett grabbed Link and pulled him into a fierce kiss. It was all tongues and teeth as they fought for dominance. Rhett took all the adrenaline he had from the win and funneled it into kissing Link. He threaded his hands into Link’s hair and tilted his head just so to push in even deeper. Link’s hands were everywhere. He grabbed at Rhett’s biceps and palmed at his chest before his hands pulled the hem of Rhett’s tshirt up. The taller man pulled it off and threw it across the room. Link licked a wide stripe across one of his nipples and listened as Rhett moaned above him. Rhett reached down and stroked Link’s cock through the jersey. The feeling of the slippery material against his hard shaft was almost too much for Link. 

“Been thinkin’ about this for a long time. You all wrapped up in my number, god, it’s so fucking hot,” Rhett whispered into Link’s hair. He let his other hand wander around the prominent hip bone and slid it down to grab Link’s ass. He was indeed bare under the jersey and it made Rhett growl deep in his chest. He reached down with both hands and hoisted Link up under the thighs. Link wrapped his legs around Rhett’s middle and the pair stood that way kissing for a few moments, enjoying the change in perspective, Link up high and Rhett now lower. It was like they had become the fire that had been burning in their chests for all these weeks and there was nothing that could put them out. 

Rhett carried Link over to their bed and tossed him onto his back. Link laid back and appreciated the look of Rhett as he took off his shorts. His hard dick sprang from the confines of his boxers as he slid them down.

“Look at that jock cock,” Link giggled. 

“Shut up,” Rhett laughed. Link could feel the smile on his face as their lips met again.

Link wanted to reach forward and grab Rhett, get his mouth on him, but this was Rhett’s celebration and he was determined to let him have it however he wanted. Rhett pulled Link up to his knees and slowly peeled the jersey off his body. He laid it out across the foot of the bed carefully. With the same quickness and strength he showed on the court, Rhett sat back against the headboard and pulled Link into his lap. They stayed like this for a few moments as Link studied Rhett’s face. He ran a gentle finger down the bridge of Rhett’s nose.

“I wanted to kill that guy when he elbowed you. Does it hurt?”

Rhett shook his head, “Nah. It’s sore, but it’ll be alright.”

Link leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Rhett’s nose, then his cheeks, and finally his lips. Rhett wrapped his arms around Link and the fire roared back to life in the smaller man’s body. Their kissing turned into grinding as they slid against each other. 

“God, that’s amazing,” Rhett’s words ghosted against Link’s lips. He reached down and grabbed the base of his cock and rubbed it against Link’s. 

“If you like that,’ Link whispered as he thrust his hips forward into Rhett’s, “let’s try this.” He reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a small clear bottle. “Hold out your hand.”

Rhett did as he was told. “What’s this?”

Link squirted some of the liquid into Rhett’s palm. 

“This is lube isn’t it?” Rhett said with a mischievous smile on his face. “Why do you have this, Link?” He poked a fingers into Link’s ribs that made him squirm with laughter. 

Link grinned in reply, “Reasons.” He took Rhett’s hand and wrapped it around both of their cocks and began to pump in a steady rhythm. Link watched as the red heads disappeared into the tunnel created by Rhett. He couldn’t get over how big Rhett’s hand was. It was perfect for jerking both of their cocks at the same time.

The sounds coming out of Rhett were absolutely lewd. He was a trembling mess. 

“Oh, gosh, why's it so much better like this?” Link’s voice was thick with desire. He rocked his hips and fucked into Rhett’s hand. 

Rhett pulled Link’s forehead against his own and sped up the pace. It felt like every nerve in Link’s being was alive. The sensation was overwhelming. He could tell Rhett was getting close when he got a feral look on his face. Rhett grabbed Link’s right hand from where it was gripping his peck and wrapped it around their cocks. “Take over.” Link did his best to keep up the pace Rhett had set. 

“Wanna make you feel real good, Link.” Rhett took his hand that was still slick with lube and wrapped it around Link’s back. He slipped a finger down to tease at the top of Link’s crack. Link gasped.

“This what you want?” Rhett whispered as he slid his finger in between Link’s cheeks.

“Yes, please, Rhett, please.” Link continued to pump their shafts as he begged for Rhett to touch him in his most vulnerable spot.

Rhett cautiously teased the puckered ring of muscle with his lubed finger. He petted Link in slow, firm strokes until Link loosened up and he could slip his finger inside. 

The experience was so intense Link found he couldn’t get any words out. Rhett’s thick finger opened him up and slid to the last knuckle. He felt full and stretched. There was no pain, just a deep pleasure that Link wanted more of. That along with the intense sensitivity of rubbing their hard cocks together had Link bouncing in Rhett’s lap. 

“Feel good, baby?” Rhett asked in a deep timber. Link could see that he was completely wrecked too, his hair a mess and and a flush across his chest and neck.

Link nodded and began in earnest to fuck himself on Rhett’s finger. The feeling was too much and not enough. With a crook of his finger, Rhett stroked Link from the inside and finally pushed him over the edge. He came all over their joined cocks and Rhett’s stomach with a series of “Ohs”. Rhett followed right behind and painted Link’s belly as well. His roaring climax echoed throughout the room.

Link slid off Rhett’s lap and laid flat on the bed pulling the other boy down beside him. They exchanged light kisses as their bodies cooled off and their hearts slowed. A peace came over Link and he started to drift off to sleep.

The phone on the wall gave out a loud RING! Rhett groaned and rolled out of bed. As he padded over to answer it Link watched. “Your ass is white, bo,” he laughed. 

Rhett flipped him off as he picked up the receiver.

“Hello?”

Link couldn’t hear the caller, but he could see the color drain from Rhett’s face. He knew exactly who was on the other end of the line.

Rhett held the phone to his ear and stared at Link with a serious look.

“Uh, yeah, I mean.. No, I can’t go with y’all tonight. Tell your parents I’m sorry, Jules, I already have plans with Link,” Rhett replied with a sad smile on his face.

“Yeah, sorry again, bye.”

Rhett put the receiver back on the base. Link held his arms open wide. Rhett climbed back in bed and rested his head on Link’s chest.


	11. You Oughta Know

**You Oughta Know**

_ I want you to know that I’m happy for you _

_ I wish nothing but the best for your both _

_ And older version of me? _

_ Is she perverted like me? _

_ Would she go down on you in a theater? _

-Alanis Morissette (1995)

Rhett carried his and Link’s tray to the trash receptacle in the corner of the dining hall and disposed of the waste, neatly stacking one tray on top of the other. 

“Okay I’ll see you when I get back,” Link said, brushing his hand against Rhett’s arm, not daring to hug him in public.

“What?” 

“You forgot? I’m going to see Night of the Living Dead at the Rialto tonight.”

“Oh yeah, with your film buddies,” Rhett said sourly.

“Actually they all bailed so I’m going solo.”

“Oh…” Rhett suddenly seemed very interested in the checkerboard linoleum flooring of the dining hall.

Link rolled his eyes. “I asked if you wanted to join us and you made fun of me for wanting to see a black and white movie and that it wasn’t even scary.”

“Well…”

“Oh my god. You’re such a jerk! You just didn’t want to hang out with my friends.”

“I just feel awkward around them. It doesn’t help that I’m a foot taller than everyone. And y’all start talking about camera angles and film theory and I feel stupid.”

“Ugh. Okay. You can come if you agree to three stipulations.”

"What?”

“One: You listen to me rant about how Night of the Living Dead is not  _ really _ about zombies.”

Rhett feigned boredom, “fine.”

“Two: you pay.”

“I think I can scrounge together ten bucks. What’s the last thing?”

“Three: we sit in the balcony.”

“The balcony?”

“They put couches up there…” Link stood on tip-toe to whisper in Rhett’s ear. “More private.”

Rhett ran his hand over his buzz cut a few times. “Can I get my jacket?”

“Of course, buddyroll,” Link replied with a grin.

After some debate, they decided to take Rhett’s truck. Link’s VW Bug was cute, but there’s no way Rhett would fit. They drove into downtown Raleigh to the old movie theatre that had been around since the thirties. It was mostly intact still and drew crowds for art house pictures, independent cinema, and was famous for their obscure horror movie programming. A small queue had already formed outside the theatre, mostly NC State kids, and some older couples in their late twenties.

It was a cool evening. The air was filled with the tell tall autumn smell of burnt leaves. Soon, the usher opened the door, they paid at a small ticket window in the foyer of the theatre and then went up a few steps, past a thick velvet curtain, into the main seating area. It was gorgeous. Vaulted ceilings painted with murals, gold carved columns lined the walls, heavy velvet curtains dampened the sound between the theatre and backstage. Sconces dimly lit the aisles as the patrons filled the theatre. 

“Come on,” Link said, pulling Rhett by the hand up another set of stairs to the balcony. There were about eight sofas in the balcony, which was favoured for couples who wanted to cuddle or more. Link pulled Rhett up to the sofa on the top left of the balcony. It was partially obstructed by a half wall in front of it, but they were both tall enough to see over it. 

Link pulled off his army jacket and slung it over the arm of the couch. “Do you want snacks?”

“Sure. It’s on me, you hold our spot. What do you want?”

“Surprise me,” Link said as he settled into the comfy, used and slightly worse for wear, emerald green leather sofa.

Rhett couldn’t help but grin at how cute Link was. He was so pleased with himself that he’d managed to snag the spot he wanted and that he’d convinced Rhett to come with him. Rhett stood in line at the concession stand and looked at the snack options. He wondered if it would be weird for them to share a bag of popcorn or if he should get two.  _ He’s had your dick in his mouth, I’m sure he’s fine with sharing a thing of popcorn, _ he said to himself. 

“Rhett?” A familiar voice came from behind him. 

He turned around to see Julia’s roommate, Emily, behind him. “Em?” he allowed a few people to go in front of him so he could stand beside her.

Emily was a weird goth chick, but despite her black lipstick and giant doc marten boots, Rhett liked her well enough. And, despite their differences, she and Julia had grown close.

“Hey, didn’t think you’d be into this kinda thing,” she said.

“Yeah, Link dragged me. You here on a date?” Rhett looked around for her companion.

“Nah just here with some friends. We’re sitting in the right wing, how about you?”

“Oh we’re up in the balcony,” Rhett stepped forward as the line moved.

“Uhhh Rhett? That’s where couples go to make out. You know that right?”

“Oh…” Rhett tried to think quickly, “Link uh, talks a lot during movies. Y’know film major and all. So he always sits in the back where no one will hear him chatting.”

“Hmmm.” She raised a pencil thin, drawn on, eyebrow. “Julia’s really upset you didn’t meet her parents the other night after her volleyball match.”

“Yeah. I’m an asshole. I’ll make it up to her.”

“You’d better. I like you, Rhett, but she’s too good for you.”

“You’re probably right.”

They reached the front of the line and he let her go first. He didn’t want to add fuel to the fire with the implication of ordering one large popcorn and two drinks, whatever that implication was. He didn’t even know anymore. 

“Have a good night, I won’t tell Jules I saw you,” she winked and went to the counter to order her snacks.

Rhett didn’t get what the big deal was. He couldn’t go to the movies with his friend without it being a secret? It’s not like it was a date… or was it? The lines were so blurred with him and Link, he didn’t know what was what. 

His anxiety was put at ease when he saw Link on the couch, waiting for him. As always, he met Rhett with a big crooked smile. “Shove over,” Rhett said as he handed Link a coke and popcorn. He settled in at the other end of the couch, closest to the wall and watched as advertisements for local businesses flashed on the screen. This all felt foreign to him. If he had been seeing a movie with a buddy, there would be an empty seat between them. God forbid someone think they were there _together_. If he had been at a movie with Julia, he’d already have his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close by now. But with Link, he didn’t know the rules. Rhett’s body tensed as Link slid closer. He let out a slow breath. He reminded himself that no one could see them beneath the cover of the darkness of the theatre. Rhett allowed his hand to slide over the worn leather seat, searching in the darkness to grasp Link’s.

Soon, the film started. Rhett had never willingly sat through a black and white film before. A shot of a solitary car, driving into a cemetery filled the screen, accompanied by an ominous score. The opening scene consisted of adult brother and sister bickering in a cemetery. The brother began to tease his sister, playing an old childhood game. “They’re coming for you, Barbara,” he said. Rhett munched on his popcorn as a strange man in a suit lumbered towards the siblings on screen, violently attacking the brother as the sister ran for her life to a nearby farm house. 

“Okay. This doesn’t suck as bad as I thought it would,” Rhett whispered in Link’s ear. Link tucked his feet up on the couch and snuggled into Rhett, reaching across with his free hand to grab a handful of popcorn. It felt...good, natural, to have Link by his side. He let his thumb slowly stroke the back of Link’s hand through their entwined fingers. Link sighed contentedly as they watched the film in the dark theatre.

The film played on. Rhett was enjoying himself. They’d long finished the popcorn and onscreen, the zombies were encroaching on the farmhouse. Link slid his hand under the hem of Rhett’s hoodie and traced lazy circles on Rhett’s stomach. Rhett held his breath, but as he looked around the balcony, he saw every sofa had a couple making out on it. None of them would be remotely interested in what he and Link were doing. Link’s hand turned and moved down to the fly of Rhett’s jeans. 

“What are you doin’?” Rhett whispered.

“I’m bored. I’ve seen this movie a dozen times.” Link shoved his hand in Rhett’s jeans and wrapped his fingers around Rhett’s half hard cock.

“Fuck, Link.” On the one hand, Rhett was embarrassed, but as he had learnt the day he met Link, getting caught turned him on in ways he couldn’t even put into words. 

He shimmied his hips lower and opened his fly to give Link better access. He shivered with adrenaline as Link repositioned himself and wrapped his lips around Rhett’s cock. 

Rhett trained his eyes on the screen. The six adults trapped in the farm house argued about how to handle the approaching zombie horde. Rhett’s fingers twined in Link’s shaggy hair as he slowly took Rhett in and out of his mouth. Link sped up, taking him faster and deeper. The wet noises from Link’s mouth were practically obscene, but thankfully the screams on screen drowned them out. 

Link paused for a moment, searching for something. Rhett couldn’t see in the dark. When Link took him into his mouth again, Rhett was met with a sharp, almost painful sensation as his dick slid against an ice cube Link had tucked into his cheek. Rhett yelped loudly. At least two couples turned to look up at them. Even though he was pretty sure they couldn’t see what was happening, he was still overwhelmed with the thought of being caught. He covered his mouth with one hand and pushed himself deep into Link’s mouth with the other. He couldn’t help it, the feeling that all eyes in the theatre were on him caused him to immediately come. Molotov cocktails few through the screen, igniting zombies like dry tinder. His whole body shook as he pumped the last of his orgasm into Link’s icey mouth.

Pleased with himself, Link wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grabbed another ice cube from the cup beside him, sucking on it as he cuddled into Rhett again. Rhett tucked himself back into his jeans and zipped his fly. He turned Link’s chin up to kiss him. “Jerk,” Rhett whispered, unable to wipe the grin off his face. 

* * *

“...and then our black hero, Ben, after surviving the _ zombie apocalypse _ , is killed by a posse of redneck white men. I mean, it’s a biting commentary on race in Jim Crow era America.” Link undid his seatbelt and hopped out of Rhett’s truck. He’d barely taken a breath the entire drive back to campus. He spent the whole time talking about the film and how it was about the Vietnam war, the death of the American Dream, and a commentary on race. 

“I dunno man, I think it’s just about zombies. But it was cool,” Rhett replied. The pair walked side by side through the quad back to Syme. It was late and the campus was quiet. “You should be careful, in the apocalypse, that big brain of yours is going to attract all the zombies.”

“Hmmm, that so?” Link flashed him a sweet smile. 

“They’re coming to get you, Link,” Rhett said, his voice low and menacing. His pace slowed as he walked stiffly.

“Oh stop,” Link rolled his eyes.

“Link… brains… braiiiinnnnsss,” Rhett moaned as he tackled Link to the grass. Link squealed as Rhett bit him playfully on the neck. He soothed the red mark he’d left on Link’s neck with a kiss. 

“Fuckin' fags,” a voice yelled from the shadows.

Rhett jumped to his feet. “Who said that?” he yelled.

Link stood up and brushed the dead leaves off his back. “Whatever. Let’s just go home.”

“Who the  _ fuck _ said that?” Rhett yelled into the quad.

“Rhett, baby, relax. It’s just some asshole.”

“Don’t… don’t call me that.” Rhett paced around in circles like a rabid dog. “I’ll fucking kill him. I’ll find him and bash his face in.”

“Rhett, it’s just some douche. He wasn’t close enough to see our faces. Just chill.”

“How the fuck can I chill after what he called me?”

“It’s not the most elegant term, but, I mean… call it what you want but straight guys don’t get BJs from their buddies, Rhett.”

“It’s not the same.” Rhett squinted into the darkness, searching for the home of the voice.

“What’s not the same?” 

“I’m not… like... _ you _ .”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Rhett sighed. “Like you’re gay, and that’s fine. You like guys and that’s your future or whatever. But that’s not mine.”

“Oh, fuck you, Rhett.”

Link ran off towards the dorms, Rhett couldn’t tell but he was pretty sure Link was crying. 

Rhett knew he’d fucked up. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Link’s feelings. He sat down on a bench to collect his thoughts. As much as his words stung it was the truth. He wasn’t like Link. wasn’t Gay with a capital g. He and Link were just fooling around. That’s all it was. A way for him to secretly get it out of his system before he got his NBA contract, a wife, two kids, and all the rest. That was what he’d spent his whole life building towards and the last thing he needed was some asshole spreading rumors around campus about him after seeing him with Link.

Finally, he cooled down and went home. Link was already in bed, and Rhett was pretty sure he was pretending to sleep because when he tried to wrap his arms around Link and kiss him goodnight, Link pulled away.

* * *

The next day Rhett woke up early and went down to the coffee shop. It was a Saturday and most of the coeds were still sleeping off hangovers. As a token of apology, he got a black coffee and a blueberry muffin for Link and tea and doughnut for himself. When he returned to the dorm, Link was pulling on a pair of ratty baggy jeans and a Nirvana t-shirt. “You’re up early,” Rhett said.

“Yeah,” Link mumbled.

“Here.” Rhett held out the consillitory breakfast.

“Thanks,” Link took the coffee and muffin and placed them on the bedside table.

“About last night…” Rhett started.

“Hm, this should be good,” Link sat at the edge of the bed and pulled on his hightops.

“I’m sorry I got upset. That asshole just got under my skin and I know I overreacted and I should have just let it go.”

“Rhett, I’m pissed because you flew into a  _ rage _ for being called gay. Was he an asshole for saying it? Sure. But where’s the lie?”

Rhett rubbed the back of his bald head, “but I’m not…”

“So what are we doing then? You and me? Is Julia too much of a prude to put out and you’re just getting off however you can?”

“No, I…”

“Are you just using me?”

“No! Link, you’re my best friend and-”

Rhett was interrupted by their dorm phone ringing. Link picked it up.

“Hello.” Link practically barked into the phone.“Hi Jules-” 

Rhett made the  _ i’m not here  _ signal. Link rolled his eyes.

“He just stepped out to get coffee…”

“Oh no…. Ok…” Link’s face fell.

“Yeah… yeah I’ll tell him.” 

Link hung up without saying goodbye.

“Em’s dad is in the hospital, had a heart attack,” Link said as he pulled on his jacket.

“Oh shit,” Rhett sank down on the bed.

“Lucky for you she went home and Julia has the room to herself. She says to go over at 9pm. And bring condoms.”

Link grabbed his camera bag off the desk and left the room, the door slammed behind him.


	12. Tonight, Tonight

**Tonight, Tonight**

_ We'll crucify the insincere tonight _

_ We'll make things right, we'll feel it all tonight _

_ We'll find a way to offer up the night tonight _

_ The indescribable moments of your life tonight _

_ The impossible is possible tonight _

_ Believe in me as I believe in you, tonight _

Smashing Pumpkins (1995)

Running away from his problems was not something Link normally did, but he couldn’t stay in that room with Rhett one more second. He walked toward the Student Union Building with his head hung low. The dead leaves crunching under his feet. 

After the fight he had with Rhett that morning Link couldn’t focus on much of anything. He pulled his jacket closer to his body to keep out the cool wind that blew across the quad. Rhett’s words replayed over and over in his mind.  _ “Not like you… not gay.” _

Link had given Rhett so much room to discover himself. He thought he had given him more than enough time to come to terms with his feelings and yet he still refused to admit that he might not be straight. Link was frustrated with the hot and cold game Rhett was playing. One day they were closer than any two people could be and the next day they were just friends. His head ached from trying to sort out the emotions he was feeling. “ _ Why does all of this have to be so hard? _ ”

The SUB was packed. Tables lined the walls and there were students everywhere. Link had been assigned to take some shots of the campus extracurricular fair for the paper. He took his time snapping pics of the different clubs and extramural sports tables, then some wide shots of the crowd from the second level balcony. He sat down and read an old copy of Seventeen magazine that was left on one of the couches. He wasted a couple hours drinking a cappuccino at the coffee shop and people watching. Link managed to kill his whole day at the event. Just as he was about to head over to the dining hall for supper, he heard someone call his name. 

“Link!” It was John. He waved excitedly. He was holding a stack of pamphlets and standing behind a table with a large sign that read  _ Gay/Lesbian Alliance _ .

As Link walked over to the table John came around to the front and gave him a huge hug. It was warm and comfortable. “How’s it going, man? Haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Yeah, been busy. ‘Tween the paper and film projects my schedule’s been crazy.” Link tried to have a sunny disposition. 

“Saw you at Rhett’s basketball game a couple weeks ago. Your boy killed it. He was on fire with those 3s.”

“It was a great game. They really earned that win…” Link hung his head as the memory of their private post game celebration sent a wave of longing and sadness through his body, “... but he’s not my boy.” Link’s face wore a sad smile.

“Really? Hate to hear that.” John stepped a little closer to Link. “You look like you could use a little cheering up. Why don’t you come dancing with me and the crew at Legends tonight? Do you have ID?”

Link looked at the people John pointed to working the GLA table. They were all smiling and chatting with the folks they handed pamphlets to. No one seemed embarassed to be there or ashamed that everyone would assume they were gay because they were vounteering their time for this group. They all looked so comfortable and happy. It looked… easy. 

“Yeah I’ve got a fake. Sounds like fun,” Link said. 

“Excellent!” John squeezed Link's shoulder. “We’ll pick you up at seven in front of Syme.”

“Can’t wait,” Link smiled and walked out of the SUB to get some dinner before going home to change. He was going to try his hardest to enjoy this evening and forget all about Rhett. 

* * *

Link burst into the room to find Rhett laying on their bed looking at his playbook. He pretended he didn't see him. Link immediately pulled off his shirt and started rummaging through the back of their closet. 

Rhett sat up. “Hey man, glad you’re back. Let’s go get some dinner and talk.”

“Can’t. Already ate.” Link pulled off his jeans and slipped on a pair of skin tight purple pants.

“We can stay here then. We need to… what are you doing?” Rhett asked as Link slipped on a white ringer tee that said “TROUBLE” across the chest. It was 2 sizes too small and showed a sliver of skin above his waistband.

“Going out,” Link replied in a clipped tone.

“Where?” Rhett’s indignant tone did nothing, but fuel Link’s fire.

“To Legends to go dancing,” Link lifted his shirt to put on extra deodorant. It would have to do since he didn’t have time to get a shower. 

“The gay club? With who?” Rhett’s voice was getting louder.

“John,” Link fluffed up his hair in the mirror that hung over the dresser.

“What the fuck, Link?! We have to talk!” Rhett was up off the bed and advancing towards Link who was slipping on his Converse. He did his best not to focus on the fact that Rhett was topless and flushed with anger. Now was not the time to fall back into that trap. He quickly slipped his wallet in his back pocket and walked toward the door.

“See ya, Rhett. Don’t wait up,” Link slammed the door shut behind him. 

* * *

Link could feel the driving beat of the club’s techno music in his chest. John showed him where the bar was and bought them each a shot. Link enjoyed the burn as it slid down his throat. It felt like being alive. He followed the group of GLA volunteers to the dance floor. It was loud and the lights were hypnotizing. This was a place where he could get lost for the night and forget everything. 

Link danced like no one was watching. He held his arms high above his head and closed his eyes letting the music wash over him. The crowd swayed along with the beat. It felt amazing to be among a group of people just like him, but also diverse in so many ways. Link spotted his English professor on the other side of the dance floor. He had his arms wrapped around the neck of a red headed man. Link caught his eye and they shared a relaxed smile. A smile that said “we’re still good”. 

As much as he tried to forget Rhett, he couldn’t help but wonder what he would think of this place. Would he like the music? Would he be able to relax here? Link saw Rhett’s face in every tall guy on the dance floor and it made his chest burn. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. 

All the dancing made Link thirsty. He grabbed the hand of one of the girls, Heather, who had come with them. “Come get a drink with me?” She and Link walked to the bar. 

It was quieter in this room and they could actually hold a conversation. 

“Are you having a good time?” Heather asked.

“Yes! It’s amazing!” Link exclaimed. “Let me get your drink.”

“I don’t drink, just a water.” Heather replied.

Link turned to flag down the bartender. A huge moustached man in a tank top walked toward them. 

“What are you having, TROUBLE?” He asked Link with a wink of his eye. 

Link blushed. He was a novice at all this. He tried to think of the name of a drink he could order. “Ummm, a water and a… screwdriver?”

“You sure about that, baby?” The bartender smiled and waited for a response. 

“Yeah, one screwdriver, please,” Link said with more confidence this time.

“You got it,” the bartender replied. 

Heather and Link chatted about the club as he mixed the drink and set it in front of Link on a paper napkin. 

“How much?” 

“It’s on the house,” the bartender caught Link’s hand in his and leaned close so that only he could hear, “If you’re really trouble, I’d love to take you home when the night’s over. Come and find me before you leave.” He kissed the back of Link’s hand and moved to the other end of the bar.

Heather grabbed Link’s shirt and dragged him to a table in the back of the room. 

“What the crap?” Link was stunned.

“You’re popular here,” Heather laughed, “Finish that drink and let’s get back on the dance floor before someone else hits on you.”

Link finished his screwdriver and a shot of whiskey that John bought him. He felt warm and fuzzy and he laughed in spite of himself. The group headed back in the direction of the music. “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor was playing and the dance floor was packed. They all danced as best they could crowded so close together. 

Link felt a pair of hands at his waist and a body pressed against his back. John whispered into his ear, “You look so hot tonight.” He kissed a line up Link’s neck. Link leaned back into John’s body and closed his eyes. He tried to relax and let himself enjoy the attention. John’s grip tightened. His thumbs stroked the bare skin under Link’s shirt and he ground himself against the curve of Link’s ass. He turned Link in his arms and caught his lips in a passionate kiss. Link tried to fight back the thoughts of Rhett, of what they had together, but the tears slipped down his cheeks. He pulled back from John's embrace.

“I can’t, John. I can’t.” Link tried to calm himself, but the tears continued to fall. “I love him.”

John rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yep, I’ve known since that first day I came over to tutor you.” He hugged Link to his chest and waved Heather over. 

“Will you give Link a ride home?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Heather said softly. 

As Link turned to follow her out of the club, he heard John say loudly, “That asshole doesn’t deserve you.”

Link looked back and replied, “Maybe not, but I have to give him a chance.” 

* * *

The ride back to the dorm was quiet. Heather didn’t ask what happened and Link didn’t offer it up, either. When they pulled up in front of Syme, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and said his thanks. 

Link jogged down the hallway. He had to get to Rhett and tell him how he felt. But when he opened the door, the room was completely dark. Link flicked on the desk lamp and saw a note waiting for him on top of his Calculus textbook. 

_ Going to Julia's. Don't wait up. -R _

Link felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He couldn’t catch his breath and the room started to spin. 

“NO, NO, NO!” he yelled.

The tears stung hot on his cheeks and dripped onto the note still in his hands. He ripped the paper into tiny pieces and threw it into the trashcan by the desk, as if not being able to see the note would make it any less true. Link flopped down on the foot of their bed and held his head in his hands sobbing. He took his shoes off and threw each one at the wall as hard as he could.

“FUCK!”

Link pulled at his own hair and squeezed his temples trying to wrestle the thoughts of where Rhett was and what he was doing out of his mind. He felt anguished, like he had lost a precious pearl that he’d gotten to hold for just a moment before it slipped through his fingers and was washed away. 

Link scooted back to lay on the bed and curled into a ball. His body shook from the powerful sobs that washed over him. He hugged his knees tight to his chest. 

“What did I do… how could I let him go? I’m so fucking stupid,” he wailed loudly.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around Link. Before he knew what was happening, someone scooped him up and held him close. 

“Hush, baby, hush. I’m here,” a voice said. The person pressed a kiss into Link’s hair and continued to rock him gently, “You’re not stupid. You’re perfect.”

Link finally registered what was happening and pulled back in shock.    


“Rhett! Wha… you’re here,” He clung to Rhett and looked closer at the face of the man who held him. Rhett’s eyelashes were wet and his face was puffy like he had been crying too, “but your note.”

Rhett held Link’s hands in a strong grip. He hung his head and said, “I went there. I was angry and jealous, so I went there…” he looked up into Link’s eyes, “... just to talk.” He continued, “But Julie didn’t want to talk, she bought condoms herself and said she was ready. I was so confused. I didn’t know what you were thinking or what I was thinking really. We started to make out on the couch, but when she put her hand in my pants it felt… wrong. Not like she did anything wrong, but like I didn’t like it, didn’t want it. I couldn’t do it, Link. I jumped up and started crying. All of these feelings I been pushing down just bubbled up and I couldn’t stop myself. I told her it was too much and I wasn’t ready. I told her I would never be ready because I don’t like her that way. She said she hated me and we broke up.”

“That’s horrible, Rhett. I’m so sorry.” Link whispered. He traced comforting circles on Rhett’s back. 

Rhett raised Link’s other hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “That’s just it, Link. I’m not sorry. I’m done with being sorry and afraid of how I feel. I can’t be what they want me to be. I can’t live that life… because, as much as I've tried to fight it… I’m gay.”

Link threw his arms around Rhett and hugged him tightly. 

“I want you. I want to be with you. Like…” Rhett paused and Link finished his thought, “... boyfriends?”

He pulled Link in closer and pressed his lips to his throat, “Yes, boyfriends.”

It was as if the heavens opened up and a beam of pure happiness shone down on Link. He wrapped himself around Rhett and pressed his lips to the taller boy’s. His kiss tasted like Mellow Yellow and tears. He pulled Rhett down on top of himself, enjoying the weight that pressed him into the mattress. It felt comfortable and intimate. Link’s hands were shaking, but he wasn’t afraid. It was joy. 

“Is this real?” Link whispered against Rhett’s mouth.

“Yes, dumbnut, this is real.” Rhett laughed and it made Link smile.

They kissed for what felt like forever. Their limbs intertwined as they rolled across the king sized bed. Slow lazy kisses at first that turned more passionate and heated. Link teased Rhett’s lips with the tip of his tongue, until he couldn’t take anymore and dove in deep. Rhett laced his fingers into Link’s hair and gave a tug. He let out a low moan that shot straight to Rhett’s dick. Link spread his legs wider and Rhett settled into the cradle of his lap. Their bodies tingled with electricity each time they rocked against each other. The friction of their clothed cocks was making it hard for Link to focus on anything other than this moment. 

“Rhett, I want you,” Link moaned.

“Me too, baby. I want you so bad,” Rhett said as he licked his way across Link’s neck paying special attention to the dips of his sinful collar bone.

“No, like now.” Link gathered Rhett’s shirt up and slipped it over his head. He used the heels of his bare feet to impatiently push at the waistband of the taller boy’s jeans. 

“Are you sure?” Rhett pulled back and searched Link’s face for hesitation.

Link traced the freckles across Rhett’s cheek with a thumb, “Yes, I believe in you. Be my first… my only?”

Rhett nodded and stood to take off his jeans and shoes. Link raised his hips and slid off his clothes as well. The pair never broke eye contact. They were offering their bodies to each other as a promise for the future and neither one wanted to miss a moment of it. 

Rhett hovered over Link’s lean form again. He nuzzled into Link’s chest and kissed a line up his sternum. Every place their skin connected felt like it was on fire. Rhett reached down and stroked Link’s hard cock that was leaving a sticky trail of wetness across their stomachs. It took everything Link had not to come at his touch. 

He gripped Rhett’s shoulders tightly and said, “Wanna feel you.”

Rhett kissed Link’s temple and stood up to grab the small bottle from the nightstand. Link took it from him and held Rhett’s palm in his own as he squeezed out a large dollop. He watched intently as Rhett moved his hand down and teased his long fingers across Link’s entrance. He massaged gently in deep circles that made Link’s toes curl with pleasure. Rhett slipped both fingers inside and Link gasped. He tossed his head back against the mattress as Rhett worked his fingers in and out rhythmically. Link felt like he was melting under Rhett’s touch. He couldn’t stop the steady flow of curse words and endearments that fell from his lips.

Link pushed back against Rhett’s chest and he froze. “Baby, you have to stop,” he panted, “I’m so close, but I want to come with you inside me.”

“Gosh, I want that too.” He sounded absolutely lost to the ecstasy of what they were doing. 

Rhett was flustered and flushed up his chest. His body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and his shaved head glistened in the lamp light. Link watched as Rhett centered himself and rubbed the head of his cock over the sensitive ring of muscle. Rhett’s tongue slipped out to wet his bottom lip as he pressed slowly inside. 

It felt like the beginning and ending of everything to Link. He was being stretched and filled in a way he had only imagined. His body flexed to take more. He grabbed a handful of the bed sheets as Rhett continued his slow slide home.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Rhett managed to growl out as he held onto Link’s hips for dear life.

“ ‘S good, so good,” Link panted. His cock pulsing against his stomach in time with his rapid heartbeat. 

Rhett pushed in further until he was fully seated between Link’s cheeks. They both groaned loudly.

“You’re so tight, baby,” Rhett said.

Link began to rock his hips. “Need more,” he groaned.   


Rhett nodded and began to pull out and push back in short thrusts. He was so thick that Link felt the burn all the way to his stomach. It was intoxicating. He hooked a leg around Rhett’s thigh and pulled him in hard. 

“Oh, right there,” Link moaned. 

Rhett fucked Link hard and deep like he wanted. He hit a spot with the blunt head of his cock over and over again that made Link cry out repeatedly. Link could see Rhett shuddering with each thrust.

“Link… I’m gonna…” Rhett couldn’t get the words out.

“Come inside me, Rhett. Do it.” Link’s hands slipped down over Rhett’s hips pulling him closer, coaxing him to finish. 

Rhett pumped once, twice, three more times and unloaded inside Link. The pulse of Rhett’s cock deep inside his ass was all Link needed to finish. He painted his chest with thin white lines of come as Rhett leaned down and caught his mouth in a passionate kiss. 

They laid together, catching their breath and tracing the lines in each other’s smiles until Rhett softened and slipped out. Link looked into Rhett’s green eyes. They were dewy and lidded with a look of satisfaction and tenderness. He wanted to make things right and tell Rhett how he felt. He wanted to whisper “I love you,” but he knew Rhett wasn’t ready for that yet. It could wait. For now, Link just laid back and enjoyed holding his boyfriend close. 

  
  



	13. Dreams

**Dreams**

_ Oh, my life is changing everyday _

_ In every possible way _

_ And oh, my dreams, it's never quite as it seems _

_ 'Cause you're a dream to me, dream to me _

_ - _ The Cranberries (1993)

Rhett stared at the blinking cursor on the empty page. He’d spent the past half hour trying to respond to an email from his parents, full of hope as they asked if they would finally get to meet Julia over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. He’d written and rewritten his response, only to delete it. He logged off the computer, leaving the email unanswered. He needed more time to decide what he was going to say. 

He was happy that things had ended with Julia. It wasn’t fair to her or Link. And now that Link was his boyfriend, he felt a sense of calm. He was out of the closet, if only to Link and a few trusted peers. But as more people found out about their relationship, the easier it was. But his family… that was going to be hard. His mom was practically picking out wedding venues for him and Julia. He knew it would break her heart to find out they had split up. He couldn’t even fathom what her reaction would be when he introduced her to his nail polish wearing, shaggy haired, art film director,  _ boyfriend _ .

Rhett slid into his seat for his economics lecture. Link looked up from his notes and smiled brightly up at him. “Hey,” he said softly as he placed his hand into Rhett’s between their seat. 

“Hey, baby,” Rhett whispered as the professor took his place at the front of the lecture hall and began to speak.

The professor droned on and on. Link ripped a scrap of paper out of his notebook and scrawled a note on it. 

_ Gonna go downtown after this to take some photographs. Want to skip Antro and join me? _

Rhett fumbled for his pen.

_ Fuck yes.  _

He passed the note back to Link. Link grinned and shoved the note into his pocket. He sunk down in his seat, snuggling into Rhett’s side in the darkness of the lecture hall.

Eventually, class ended. They returned to the dorm to get Link’s camera and soon, they were in Rhett’s truck. An old Merle Haggard tape played over the stereo as they drove down the highway to the downtown core. Link sang harmony and kept time, slapping his hand on his knee. Rhett couldn’t help but smile. Link made everything better, even driving in late afternoon Raleigh traffic. Having Link as his boyfriend even made his basketball game better. He paritally attributed it to the near constant sex they were having, or just the weight of worry off his shoulders. Either way, he was getting more time on the court than some of the senior players, which was unheard of for a freshman. 

Rhett followed Link’s navigation and they found street parking. It was a cold November day, and Rhett instantly wished he’d worn more than a hoodie when he hopped out of the truck. 

Link already had his camera out, framing a photograph of business people filing out of a tall office tower, heading home for the day. He lowered his camera and smiled. Rhett couldn’t get enough of his lopsided grin, calm blue eyes, and perfectly imperfect teeth. 

“So, where’re we goin’?” Rhett asked as he shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket to keep warm.

“I usually just wander around, take pictures of things that I think are interesting or might be good locations for film projects. There’s one place I for sure want to take you, though! Come on.” Link took off down the sidewalk and Rhett jogged a few paces to keep up with him. Even though Link was shorter, his gait was quick and Rhett often found he had to hustle to keep up with him. Of course, then he would stop dead, entranced by the composition of an overflowing dumpster or paint peeling on the side of a house, and he’d have to take a picture. Rhett felt like he was learning a lot about Link over what things would make him stop. What that was exactly, he wasn’t sure, but it made him feel close to him. 

They wandered around for hours, zigzagging down alleys and double backing. Eventually, they got to a part of town Rhett that had never been to. Link slid his arm into Rhett’s, interlocking them as they walked down the street. Rhett tensed up. “Link…” 

“It’s okay Rhett, we’re in the gay village.”

“Gay people have their own village?” he said, shocked.

Link laughed, “It’s more like a block and a half. But there’s a few bars and a coffee shop, a drop in clinic, a few gay and lesbian owned businesses. It’s just somewhere we can be ourselves. Welcome home.”

Without hesitation or paranoia, Rhett bent down and kissed him. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so cold anymore, warmed by Link’s sweet kiss. 

“Come on, I want to show you this place,” Link took his hand and brought him to a bookstore across the street. The sign above the door read  _ After Stonewall Books. _ The place looked like most independent bookstores, somewhat disorganized and cramped. Posters hung on a bulletin board for drag shows and protests. A large black banner with a pink triangle hung behind the cash.  _ Silence = Death Act Up! _ Stitched in large white block letters. 

Rhett slowly made his way through the aisles. He blushed as he walked past the gay erotica section. The store had so many books ranging from fiction to health, art, and politics. He felt like he had a lot of catching up to do. He let his fingers dance along the spines of books, pulling various titles out and flipping through them. “Hey,” he said when he found Link pouring over a table of zines. “Maybe you can led me to some books? It’s all overwhelming,” he said sheepishly.

“Of course, baby.” Link rose up on his toes and gave him a smooch on the cheek. 

Rhett looked over Link’s shoulder at the table of photocopied and folded paper books. “What are those? They look like they were made in someone’s basement.”

Link laughed. “They probably were. They’re called zines. They’re like homemade magazines. Sometimes they have prose or poetry or articles. Music reviews, anarchist political theory. Collage art. Lot’s of cool stuff. Here…” Link grabbed a few and added them to the copy of “ _ Angels in America”  _ that he’d already picked up for his playwriting class. He brought the stack to the cash register. A chubby girl with a shaved head rung him up. She wore a plaid skirt and a t-shirt that read  _ Riots not Diets _ . Link thanked her and then handed the zines to Rhett. 

“Link, you didn’t have to…”

“I wanted to! Anyway, they were only like a buck a piece. You wanna head back to campus?”

“Sounds good,” Rhett held the door open for Link and they made their way back onto the street.

The sun had set and a frigid wind blew. Link looked up, startled by something hitting his glasses. “Shit,” he said as another drop hit the lenses. The rain instantly turned near torrential, coming down in an icy downpour.

“How far from the truck are we?” Rhett yelled over the wind.

“About sixteen blocks, come on!” Link held his army jacket over his head, a sliver of bare skin peaked out of the bottom of his shirt. 

The pair did their best to navigate back to the truck quickly, but by the time they finally found the lot, they were both soaked. Rhett stuck his key in the ignition and turned the heat up to high. He pulled a single Air Jordan off of his foot and poured a puddle of water out of the truck window. Link’s teeth chattered beside him. 

They rode back to campus in silence. The heat in the truck was pumping at full capacity, but it wasn’t enough, seeing as they were both sopping wet with ice cold water. The commute home felt like hours. It was still pouring and the driving was slow and slippery with poor visibility. Rhett was freezing, but he was worried about Link, whose lips were still blue. 

Finally, they pulled into NC State grounds and Rhett parked the truck. He hopped out and went around to open Link’s side. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you in a hot shower.” Link nodded. Rhett wrapped his arm around Link’s shoulder and helped him across the quad. Cold and soaked, they managed to make it to their dorm floor. 

“I’ll go get towels, you get in the shower,” Rhett directed. Link was happy to get out of his cold wet clothes as quickly as possible. Rhett fumbled with the key to their room and quickly grabbed two towels. He made it back to Link who was stripping in the empty shower stall. He locked the door behind them and made quick work of peeling off his own wet clothes, piling them in the corner of the shower. Link had managed to get his army jacket and t-shirt off, but he struggled with his jeans. “Let me help.” Rhett dropped to his knees, pulling at Link’s skin tight, wet denim.

He worked his fingers under the waistband of Link’s jeans and tried to get a grip, but the water had them stuck to Link’s skin. Rhett wrenched down hard, smacking himself in the face. “Fuck, Rhett,” they were still shivering but both began to warm as laughter spilled out of them. Link shimmied his hips while Rhett took another crack at his jeans, eventually managing to pull them down. Link raised a foot and Rhett took hold of the cuff, yanking with all his might. “It’s like skinning a damn snake,” he said as he peeled the wet denim off Link. 

Finally free from his cold, wet, clothes, Link turned the shower on full heat. His skin went from pale to rosy and steam filled the small shower stall. Rhett, still on his knees, kissed Link’s stomach. “That feel better?” Rhett asked, looking up at his boyfriend’s beautiful body. 

“So much better, oh God. Rhett… should we be in the shower together? What if someone sees us?”

“They won’t. Plus… while I’m here...” Rhett kissed his stomach again, trailing his tongue down Link’s happy trail to his cock. Rhett licked the rivulets of water that ran down his sharp hip bones.

“Fuck,” Link’s head lolled back under the stream of the shower head as Rhett licked the underside of his cock. Rhett smirked as it twitched appreciatively, growing with arousal under his touch and licks.

Normally, Rhett let Link take the lead, and he was a bit nervous to go down on Link for the first time, but as he took Link’s hard cock past his lips, he pulled a low moan of pleasure out of him which only encouraged Rhett to take him deeper and faster. Soon, Link’s hands were on the back of his head, “Feels so good baby, fuck, mmmm,” he moaned as he fucked into Rhett’s mouth. 

The heavy door to the communal bathroom opened and two of their floormates entered. It sounded like they were both at the bank of sinks, fixing their hair in the long mirror.    
“.... She’s so hot. Like, I don’t even know what to do when she’s around.” one of them said Rhett stroked his own cock as he sucked Link’s. The two guys continued to chat about some sorority girl and it turned Rhett on to know they had an audience. He knew it was dangerous but God, if he didn’t love the idea of being walked in on, on his knees with his mouth full of Link. 

“Rhett,” Link pleaded in a whisper but it just spurred Rhett on harder. Link was breathing hard, his chest heaved under Rhett’s touch. Link clamped a hand over his own mouth as Rhett pinned him to the wall and took Link’s cock deep into his throat. He sputtered and coughed, caught off guard when Link came but swallowed his load, licking him clean. 

“Dude… I think someone’s getting lucky in the shower,” one of the guys said to the other. 

Link pulled Rhett up with an outstretched hand, bringing Rhett’s body flush with his under the showerhead. He spun Rhett around so he was pinned up against the tile wall, a devilish grin spread across Link’s face. Rhett knew he was in trouble when Link wrapped one hand over Rhett’s mouth and another around his cock, jerking him off hard as the two men outside tried to listen in. 

It only took a few strokes of Link’s firm grip before Rhett came, shooting thick ropes across the shower. He felt weak in the knees as he held in the vocalizations he so desperately wanted to make to show Link his appreciation. He wrapped his arms around Link and held him tight, his body still shaking from the orgasm.

Finally they heard the guys leave. “Fuck,” Rhett exhaled, with relief.

Link giggled, and Rhett burst into a full belly laugh. “You warm now?” Rhett asked as he turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his boyfriend’s slim hips.

“Very warm. Hot even,” Link replied, rising on his tiptoes to kiss Rhett. “Now that I’m all warmed up, I think it’s time for round two.”

Rhett raised an eyebrow and grinned. He peeked over the top of the shower stall to make sure the coast was clear, and, satisfied, he gathered up their wet clothes and the pair went back to their dorm room.


	14. Wonderwall

**Wonderwall**

_ And all the roads we have to walk are winding _

_ And all the lights that lead us there are blinding _

_ There are many things that I _

_ Would like to say to you but I don't know how _

_ Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me _

_ And after all, you're my wonderwall _

-Oasis (1995)

Link slipped the Nirvana T-shirt over his head. He knew it would drive Rhett crazy combined with the ripped up black skinny jeans and his red Doc Martens. Rhett may be a jock, but Link knew that he loved his grunge look.

“I’m so glad we’re going out tonight. The past week has been exhausting,” Link whined. “The semester’s almost over and they just keep piling on more work. I’m just ready to relax and dance with my sexy boyfriend.” Link wrapped his arms around Rhett’s midsection and pulled him in close.

“I’m excited too, even if we are going to yours and John’s place,” Rhett rolled his eyes sarcastically. 

“It’s not mine and John’s place,” Link replied. “Just because we were there together doesn’t mean it’s our place. Remember what happened that night?” He put a finger under Rhett's chin and tilted his face so he could look directly in the green eyes. “If I hadn’t gone to Legends and realized that you were the only man for me, then we would still be fighting and annoying each other. And you never would have finally scored with me in our bed.” Link smiled coyly and rubbed his hand over the front of Rhett’s basketball shorts. The flirtatious teasing was clearly having an effect on Rhett. He was already half hard in Link’s palm. 

“Like the idea of that, big man? Our bed? Where you fuck me real good?” Link lowered his voice and teased some more.

Rhett’s eyes were dark and he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. He made a low growling sound in his throat. “You better stop that if you ever wanna get to the club. I might just pick you up and throw you on the bed like you like.”

Link threw his head back and laughed. “Promises, promises.” 

He turned around and fluffed his hair in the mirror. Rhett adjusted himself in his shorts, so his erection wasn’t so obvious. He put on some deodorant and grabbed his keys. He smacked Link on the ass. 

“Let’s go handsome. I want to see you shake that thing.” 

Their laughter echoed through the hallway as they walked out of the dorm together.

* * *

Legends was packed. Clearly, Rhett and Link weren’t the only ones who wanted to blow off steam after the hellish week, because the club was wall-to-wall with people. Luckily, they had no trouble getting in. Cole had given Rhett one of his old IDs at the beginning of the semester and the bouncer didn’t question it. 

Link could hear the driving beat of “What is Love” playing on the dance floor. He grabbed Rhett’s arm and dragged him to the back of the club. 

“Come on, I love this song!” he shouted over the music. 

Link pushed his way into the crowd and made a space for Rhett to slide in next to him. Rhett shook his head no and leaned down so Link could hear him. 

“I’m gonna go grab a beer and sit for a minute. Feelin’ a little nervous,” he said. 

Link squeezed his hand and kissed him on the cheek.

“Sit back and watch. I’ll put on a show for ya.” Link winked at Rhett and spun off into the crowd. 

Link found Heather on the other side of the dance floor and gave her a huge hug. They finished out the song by dancing with a couple of guys from his “Intro to Film” class. He shimmied his way back to the place he left Rhett and found the taller boy sitting at a table just off to the side. He had a beer in one hand and another ready to go and was stretched out low in the chair with his long bare legs crossed at the ankle. The basketball shorts and superman t-shirt had been a good choice if you asked Link. Apparently, sexy jock was just his type. Rhett rubbed his empty hand over the back of his shaved head as he watched his boyfriend with hungry eyes. 

As Rhett continued to take pulls off his beer, the previous song faded into the next. The slow driving beat rolled through Link’s body. He swayed his hips to the rhythm and kept his eyes locked with Rhett He put his hands above his head and made the sexiest face he could imagine. It worked. Rhett fidgeted in his seat like he could barely contain himself. Link knew that Rhett would absolutely love the idea that all these people were watching him watch Link. Maybe Rhett’s exhibitionist tendencies were rubbing off on him. 

Link closed his eyes and rolled his whole body forward, making sure to thrust his hips in Rhett’s direction. He knew the tight jeans were doing little to hide his arousal. Before he realized what was happening, Rhett was there, pulling at his waist and dragging him off the dance floor. 

“You’re coming with me. I need a shot if I’m gonna dance and I’m sure as hell not leaving you out there by yourself,” Rhett said jokingly. 

Link laughed and threaded his fingers through Rhett’s as he led him to the quieter front bar. 

“I got this one. What do you want?” Link asked.

“Shot of Jagermeister.” Rhett replied.

Link turned toward the bar and held a finger up to get someone’s attention. The large bartender with a moustache who had flirted with Link before headed in their direction.

“Trouble! Looking good, baby. Come back to take me up on my offer?” His eyes wandered over what he could see of Link’s body. 

“Uh… no just here with my boyfriend,” Link said nervously, “Can I get a shot of Jager and a Screwdriver?”

Link could feel Rhett press his body flush against his back. The glare he gave the bartender was palpable.

“Oh, hey man, nice to meet you. You better keep this one close; with a body like that he’s a hot commodity around here,” he said to Rhett as he poured the drinks. 

Link could feel Rhett’s body tense as he wrapped his arms possessively around the shorter boy’s waist. He watched as Rhett took his shot and threw it back, then kissed him full on the mouth. The alcohol burned on Link’s tongue as it moved against Rhett’s. The pair continued to alternate between making out against the bar and finishing their drinks until Rhett’s anxiety dulled to a comfortable numb. He took Link’s hand and led him back to the dance floor, making sure to give a cocky wink to the bartender on the way out. 

They made their way to the middle of the crowd of clubgoers. Link faced Rhett and pressed in close. The flashing lights overhead were bathing Rhett in shades of blue and red giving him a dreamlike appearance. Link repeated the body roll that had driven Rhett crazy earlier. Rhett wrapped his fingers around the curve of Link’s hips and tried to sway along with the driving beat. Link could feel Rhett’s cock twitch each time he rolled their hips together. He slung his arms around Rhett’s shoulders and pulled him down into a heated kiss. Link could barely stand the friction and pulled back before he got carried away. He turned in Rhett’s arms and pushed his ass back against Rhett’s pelvis. The two swayed together, as Rhett’s lips found the sweet spot on Link’s neck. 

Link looked at the crowd of blurry eyed dancers around them as his boyfriend made love to his pulse point. There were people smiling and laughing, men making out with men, and women with bodies pressed together. It was a beautiful sight. Link felt comfortable and accepted here. 

As the night had progressed, several guys had taken their shirts off. Link pulled away from Rhett and did the same, pulling his shirt over his head and tucking it into his back pocket. He immediately leaned back and pulled Rhett's hands up to rest on his chest. Rhett traced his hands all over Link’s body, across his toned pecs and down his tight stomach until he was teasing the trail of hair that lead into the waistband of Link’s boxers. Link turned them around to a wall of mirrors to get a better look at the show they were putting on when he felt Rhett freeze in place. He was as stiff as a board and Link could see the look of fear on his face in the mirror. Rhett dropped his hands from Link's body and grabbed his arm dragging him behind a pillar on the other side of the dance floor.

“Rhett, are you okay? What happened baby?” Link searched Rhett’s ash white face for answers. 

Rhett put his elbows on his knees and hung his head down. “Fuck!” 

“What’s wrong?” Link was starting to panic. He rubbed Rhett’s shoulder. He had never seen him like this before. Even through all their crazy times, Rhett had never looked so afraid.

“It’s one of my assistant coaches. He’s with a group of guys back by the pool tables. He saw me with my hands all over you,” Rhett said in a rush.

“Well, maybe he didn’t recognize you. There are a lot of people here,” Link tried to reassure him.

“He looked me right in the fucking eye and gave me a head nod, Link,” Rhett snapped. 

“Hang on, Rhett, think about it, what’s he doing at a gay club?” Link asked as he slipped his shirt back on. He leaned around the pillar to get a closer look, “Which one is he?”

“Hawaiian shirt, brown hair, glasses.” Rhett leaned his head back against the pillar and put a hand over his eyes.

“Well, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Take another look, baby.”

Rhett leaned his head around the pillar just in time to see his coach take a beer from a small olive skinned man and kiss him on the lips. The man wrapped his arms around the coaches mid section and they laughed along with the rest of their group. 

“Oh shit. I can’t believe it. What is going on?” Rhett sounded absolutely exhausted.

“Let’s go say hi,” Link said cautiously.

“No, no way. I just wanna go home. I can’t deal with this tonight.” Rhett laced his fingers together with Link’s and started walking toward the front of the club. Link trailed after him and out to the parking lot. 

The ride home was silent. Link drove back to campus since he had only had one drink. Rhett had the heat on full blast in the truck. A classic country music station played softly. Link drove with one hand so he could keep the other on Rhett’s thigh. Every time Link chanced a glance at Rhett, he could see the worry on his brow. The muscles of his jaw worked nervously as if he was trying to contain a barrage of words just waiting to break free. 

They pulled into the only available parking space at the back of the Syme lot and Link turned the truck off. They sat in silence for a moment before Link swung his leg over Rhett’s lap and took his face in his hands. He traced a thumb over Rhett’s eyebrow trying to soothe the stress that he held there. Link leaned down and pressed his lips to Rhett’s neck. He dusted it with small kisses until he could muster his courage.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” Each phrase was punctuated with a kiss. 

Rhett’s arms wrapped around Link and held on tight as if he was afraid Link would disappear. Link hugged Rhett close as sobs wracked through his body. 

  
  
  



	15. Don't Speak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, it's the last main chapter of BMOC (next week's chapter is an epilogue.) we can't believe it's almost over 😭

**Don’t Speak**

_You and me, we used to be together_

_Every day together always_

_I really feel that I'm losing my best friend_

_I can't believe this could be the end..._

_Don't speak_

_I know just what you're saying_

_So please stop explaining_

_Don't tell me 'cause it hurts_

-No Doubt (1995)

Rhett spent the weekend in the sanctuary of their room. Their bed was an island where it was just the two of them. No pressure from his parents to bring home a girl, no worries about his future basketball career. It was easy. In their room, Link was his world, and he was happy. He lived on Link’s smiles and touches.

His alarm Monday morning rudely pulled him out of his tiny, beautiful world. He reluctantly pulled on his warmup gear and headed to practice. He felt like the entire coaching team was watching him like a hawk as he ran drills on the court. Had assistant coach Reynolds told the other coaches about spotting him at Legends? He tried to focus on the rhythm of the basketball as he dribbled it across the lacquered wood court and sprung into the air, dunking it in the basket. The coaches murmured to each other and Coach Fitzpatrick took notes. 

The practice wound down and he went to join his team mates in the weight room. “Uh, hold back, McLaughlin,” Coach Fitzpatrick yelled. Rhett felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He was fucked. Underage drinking? That was guaranteed to be a violation of the team’s code of conduct. It was even worse that it was at a gay bar. Hell, if they knew he had a boyfriend that would probably be grounds to kick him off the team, revoke his scholarship, and send him packing. 

His fellow teammates filed off the court until it was just him and the coaching staff. “Office, McLaughlin,” the coach barked. Rhett hung his head and followed them into the office. Rhett sat across from his coaches who were arranged in a semicircle around him. 

“We’ve received some pretty surprising news in regards to you, Rhett.” 

Rhett’s tried to desperately soak up the sweat pooling in his palms, on his red and black basketball shorts. His mouth was dry and he wanted to run away with every fiber of his being. He didn’t dare look assistant coach Reynolds in the eye.

“Seems not one, but two different NBA teams have had scouts at our games and both have requested your stats. This almost never happens for a freshman. But you’re hot shit, kid.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Rhett struggled to process his coach’s words.

“Son, I'm saying if you keep it up, work hard, develop your game, you will be drafted. In my twenty years of coaching, I've never seen it happen to a freshman. You should be proud of all your hard work.”

Rhett finally looked around the room, and was met with warm smiles from all of his mentors and coaches. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“I… I don’t know what to say?” 

“It’s alright, boy, you just basically won the damn lottery. But you gotta give it all you got the rest of the season. Keep your stats up, build buzz. Have the whole damn league fighting over who gets you. Got it?”

“Yes. Yes sir. Absolutely. You can count on me to make the Wolfpack proud.” He stood and shook the coach’s outstretched hand. 

The coaching team filed out of the room, and Rhett turned to exit with them but Assistant Coach Reynolds clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Hang back a minute, Rhett. We need to talk about Legends.” 

Rhett collapsed back into the chair. Reynolds may not have ratted him out, but he was still dreading this conversation. 

The air hung heavy in the office until the older man cleared his throat. “I trust you haven’t told anyone where you saw me Friday?”

“No, sir.” 

“Good. that’s good… can we speak candidly?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Son, are you a homosexual?”

“I….” Rhett didn’t know what to say. Even though his coach was gay, he might be jepordizing his entire NBA career if Rhett outed himself.

“Look, I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. I got married, had two kids with my wife. Now I'm divorced and half my pay goes to child support for kids I almost never get to see. I tried so hard to be someone I wasn’t.”

Tears stung in the corner of Rhett’s eye. He’d been so close to making the same mistakes. 

“I can tell you this. You won’t be the only gay guy in the NBA. There were others when I played in the league. Of course, no one talked about it, but you’d see the odd guy with male escorts leaving their hotel rooms at five in the morning. To be out would have been career suicide. But, I don't know. It feels like things are changing. Dennis Rodman is shooting hoops with painted nails and lime green hair. I swear that kid’s as queer as a three dollar bill.”

Something between a laugh and a sob escaped Rhett’s mouth.

“All I'm saying is, keep your head down, play the game, do your time in the league, but don’t compromise who you are. You’ll play professionally, maybe five years if you’re lucky. When you’re done you gotta be able to look yourself in the mirror and be happy with who you are.”

“Coach… that guy I was a Legend’s with? With the shaggy black hair? His name is Link. He’s.... he’s my boyfriend.”

“You’re brave, Rhett. I wish I had followed my heart when I was your age. Hell, I’m still scared. I’m so excited for you and your career. You’re a great ball player. But at the end of the day, it’s just basketball. Having someone you love and who loves you is better than any NBA contract. Trust me.”

“Thanks, Coach.”

“Alright, good talk. Go lift some weights, hotshot,” he said with a wink.

* * *

Rhett sat at his dorm room desk, trying to work, but he was buzzing with excitement. The entire day had moved at a snail’s pace; he just wanted to share all his good news with Link. he had a message on his machine from his dad which he ignored. He’d call his parents later to share the good news, but he wanted to tell Link first. Finally, Link pushed open the door, positively bouncing with energy himself.

“I HAVE GOOD NEWS!,” Both men said in tandem and then laughed.

“You first!” Link said as he sat at the edge of the bed, pulling off his sneakers.

“I’m being scouted by two NBA teams and Coach thinks it’s pretty much a sure shot I’ll get drafted at graduation if I keep my game up.”

“Rhett, holy shit. That’s amazing, baby!” He practically threw himself in Rhett’s outstretched arms.

“What’s your news?” Rhett asked between kisses.

“Oh it’s nothing compared to your news. But,that short film I made got accepted to a festival in New York.”

“Link! That’s so cool!”

“It’s a kinda prestigious festival. Like I entered never expecting to actually get it.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Rhett kissed him again.

"It’s really happening for both of us, isn’t it?” Link whispered with disbelief.

“Mhm, baby. And I think we should celebrate?” Rhett responded, pulling Link’s shirt off his head.

“Oh yeah, what did you have in mind?” Link responded, palming Rhett’s already hard dick through his shorts.

“I think you’ve got the picture.”

* * *

Link had never looked more beautiful than right there in the moment when he was straddling Rhett’s cock, riding him hard. His head thrown back, the veins in his neck popping as he whined for more. Rhett’s hands wrapped around his hips, holding him steady as he fucked into him. Link’s hair stuck to his forehead with sweat and he fell apart. 

“Fuck. Don’t stop, Rhett, Jesus, you feel so fucking good. Fuck.” His hands pushed down on Rhett’s chest as he posted up and down on Rhett’s cock. Rhett was close, Link was too hot. Too beautiful. If he could grab Link’s camera and capture this moment without ruining it, he would have. Although, to have a photo of the moment wouldn’t do it justice. Because it just felt so good. 

“Come for me baby,” he growled and wrapped his hand around Link’s hard bobbing cock, stroking it in time with his thrusts.

“I’m so fucking close,” he whined.

“Me too,” Link replied, almost out of breath from exertion.

Link came first, spilling his come all over Rhett’s belly. The tightening and shaking of his body sent Rhett over the edge a moment later, coming hard deep inside Link. Guttural moans ripped through both of them as they rode out their orgasm together. 

Link collapsed on Rhett’s chest, Rhett still half hard inside of him. 

“Did you hear that?” Link asked.

“All I can hear is my heart pounding in my ears,” Rhett replied, trying to catch his breath.

“I think someone’s at the door?” Link whispered.

The pair didn’t move a muscle, and soon a louder knock shook the door.

“Shit,” Rhett said and carefully pulled himself out of Link. He hastily wiped the come off his cock and stomach with his dirty t-shirt and pulled on his shorts. He padded barefoot to the door and opened it a crack. 

“Dad?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“Guess you didn’t get my messages about guest lecturing at your school, huh?”

“Uh, no. Hey my room's a mess. Give me a sec, I’ll get dressed then maybe we can get dinner or something.”

Jim reached around Rhett and pushed the door open. Thankfully Link had managed to pull on his boxers and a t-shirt but if he’d somehow managed not to hear them, the scene he was walking into was unmistakable. 

“Who is this, Rhett? And why is he half naked in your room?”

“Uh, dad, this is Link. he’s my… roommate.” Rhett winced at the hurt in Link’s eyes at being reduced to his roommate when he was so much more.

“You have a single room, Rhett. Don’t play me like an idiot.”

“I swear, he’s my roommate. The housing office messed up but they’re working on it.”

Jim looked around at the pile of clothes on the floor, the come streaked t-shirt thrown on the back of the chair. His eyes darted around the room to a black and white photo Link had taken of Rhett, naked aside from a bedsheet which barely covered his ass, a rainbow flag hung on the wall along with a small poster for the band The Pansy Division. He looked Link up and down, pausing on his glittery blue nailpolish and the maroon hickey on his neck that Rhett had given him a few days prior. “Get dressed Rhett,” he said sternly. 

“You.” He said to Link, “We’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”

“.... Yes, sir,” Link replied.

Jim waited in the hallway while Rhett got dressed.

“Rhett, what the fuck?” Link whispered.

“I don’t know, Link. I’m sorry. I panicked. But I can’t tell him. Not like this. I’m not ready. Just… I’m sorry.” Rhett wiped the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his plaid flannel button-up shirt. He left without looking back; he couldn’t bare to see Link’s face right now. 

* * *

The walk down to the housing office felt like a death march. Jim told Rhett to wait outside while he sorted things out. Even at six foot seven, his dad had a way of making him feel small. He sat on the floor outside the housing office, his knees tucked under his chin. He tried not to sob openly in the hallway. He could hear the muffled voice of his father yelling, and Penny, the long suffering housing office coordinator, trying to calm him down. After what felt like an eternity, Jim emerged from the office, his face red from yelling. “Up,” he said to Rhett and started walking down the hall without him. Rhett scrambled to his feet and caught up to his dad.

“What’s good to eat on campus?” Jim asked, his demeanor finally softer.

“Ummm, there’s a pizza place in the student union over there. It’s pretty good,” Rhett replied cautiously.

“Alright, then.”

Father and son walked silently to the student union building. For the first time in his life, Rhett wasn’t hungry. He picked at his slice while his father tried to fill the silence with stories of his first lecture earlier that day. 

Jim finished his pizza and checked his wrist watch. “We should head back, they should be there soon.”

Who should be where? Rhett’s head was spinning but all he could do was go with the flow. His stomach flipped as they returned back to his dorm room. When he opened the door, he was relieved to see Link had cleaned up. Their room had never looked better. The dirty laundry was tucked away, errant papers organized, the bed made with military corners. Link was dressed more conservatively than Rhett had ever seen him, in khaki dockers and a baby blue polo shirt. He sat at the desk quietly awaiting Rhett’s return. 

Rhett desperately wanted to hug him, or hold his hand. Something. Link stood and offered the armchair to Jim, he sat on one side of the end of the bed and Rhett sat on the other. The three sat in silence until a few minutes later a knock came at the door. Jim stood to open it, and Penny entered the room. 

“Good evening gentlemen,” she said. She looked harried and exhausted. “I think we’ve found a solution to your… situation.”

She let out a heavy sigh and continued. “Rhett, Professor McLaughlin has pointed out you are a valued member of our athletic program and were promised a private room with a king sized bed to help you rest and recuperate and achieve your potential. We failed to provide that for you. But now we have the question of Link, we can’t throw him out on the street. So here’s what I’ve come up with. Thanks to a generous donation we received…” she nodded at Jim, “we’re able to put Link up in an apartment off campus.”

“What?” Link asked.

“We have some furnished apartments, usually used for exchange students or what have you. Basically the same as this but with a small kitchenette. It’s about forty-five minutes away but you have a car, right?”

“Perfect! It’s all settled then!”

“Wait,” Link interjected.

“Oh one more stipulation, Mr. Neal. As part of this arrangement, you will, under no circumstances, be allowed in Syme Dormitory. But as you will no longer be living here I don’t see that being an issue. I’ll bring the keys for the apartment over in the morning. I suggest you pack your things.”

“Thank you so much Penny. You’re a doll for working all this out,” Jim said as he showed her out the door. 

“Rhett pack an overnight bag. You’ll stay at the hotel with me tonight.”

“Dad, no…”

“It’s for the best, Rhett. You’ve got five minutes.”

Jim stood watch while Rhett threw some clothes in a backpack. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to Link. 

“Rhett…” Link choked on his words, bursting into tears before he could speak.

* * *

The ride to Jim’s hotel room was filled with more tense silence. The news Rhett had received that morning felt like a dream, and now things had become an utter nightmare.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell your mother. It would break her heart. Just make sure you bring that girl of yours home for Christmas and we’ll forget all of this happened. You’re at a crossroads Rhett. You gotta think about your future.”

“Yes, sir.” He was too tired to argue. He just wanted this day to be over. 

When they got to the hotel, Jim turned in early while Rhett sat up with his thoughts. His feet hung off the double bed and it was cold and lonely without Link in his arms. Eventually he passed out, exhausted from the rollercoaster of a day.

* * *

The next morning, Jim woke him up early. They got dressed and went to the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. Once again, Rhett moved food around on his plate without really eating. They headed back to campus. Rhett felt weird knocking on his own dorm room door but he didn’t want to startle Link. The door opened slowly. Link looked like hell. His eyes were red and puffy, he’d obviously been crying all night, and he was going on very little sleep. Their room looked empty. All of his art had been removed from the walls, his clothes packed into his suitcases, and the trunk that sat at the end of the bed was loaded to near bursting with his possessions. 

“Rhett, help him load up his car. I’ll wait here to get the keys from Penny.”

They each loaded up with bags, suitcases and brought them out to Link’s car. 

Finally out from under Jim’s thumb, Rhett finally spoke.

“Link… I'm sorry.”

“S’ok Rhett,” he sniffled. “I suppose I should have known we’d break up. It was all too good to be true.”

Rhett froze. “Break up? I don’t want to break up, Link. We can make this work.”

“Really Rhett? I’m banned from Syme. And there’s no way in hell you’re going to come stay at my apartment an hour away from campus when you have to get up early for practice. And even if you did, what? We’d both cram into a double bed? Right.” Link trugged on ahead, awkwardly pulling his suitcase.

“Link, baby… no.”

“Don’t call me baby, Rhett. I know you’re not ready to come out, but what would you be telling him that he doesn’t already know? You’re already being punished. I thought you’d grow a fucking backbone and fight for us, but I guess I was wrong.” Link shoved his things into his car. 

“Please, Link,” Rhett reached out for him. He just wanted to pull Link in and hold him close, even if it was for the last time. 

“Let’s just get this over with.” Link slammed his trunk and trudged across the parking lot to get another load of his stuff. 

When they returned to their room, Penny had arrived with the keys and directions to Link’s new place. “Alright Link, here’s everything you need. Rhett, I’m sorry it took so many months for us to rectify your housing situation. I’m sure you’ll be happy to have your room to yourself,” she handed the keys to Link who took them, begrudgingly.

It was all happening so fast. Rhett wasn’t ready. Penny turned to leave and Rhett yelled, “WAIT!” she turned, surprised at his outburst.

“Miss Penny. I need to say something.”

“Rhett…” his father said.

“You said I’m a valued member of the athletics department. If that’s the case, I believe I should determine my housing situation, not my father.”

“Go on,” she said.

“Rooming with Link has been the best thing to ever happen in my life. And that includes finding out yesterday that I’m being scouted by several NBA teams. He is responsible for my stellar athletic performance and academic achievements this semester I couldn’t have done any of it without him.”

“Is that so?” 

“I think it would be in the best interest of NC State to remember the clout not to mention donations to their alma mater, that comes with helping bring up a star player.”

“Rhett, you are an adult. Ultimately it is your decision. Your father led me to believe you still felt the same way as you did in the fall, but apparently things have changed.”

“Rhett, you do this, boy, and your mother and I will never forgive you. You’ll ruin your career. Can’t be a pansy and play ball, son. You gotta choose.”

“I think I can have it all, dad. Because only two things in my life have made sense. Playing basketball, and loving Link. Yes, I love him.” 

He turned to Link, “I love you. And it shouldn’t have taken this for me to tell you. Hell, I love you more than basketball, even. If loving you means I can’t play in the NBA, I’ll coach a highschool team, or I’ll be a sports journalist, or commentator. Whatever. I’ll figure something out. But all that matters is I love you.”

Rhett leaned down his lips close to Link’s. “I'm so sorry. Please forgive me?”

Link tilted his head up and kissed him, tears of joy streaming down his face. 

Rhett grabbed his hand. “Come on. We gotta unpack your car.”

“I’ll see myself out. I suggest you join me, Professor McLaughlin.”

Jim wordlessly left, slamming the door behind him.

“You fought for me,” Link buried his face in Rhett’s chest.

“I love you, Link. I love you more than I thought possible and I’m sorry I’ve been an idiot, in so many ways. From day one I was an asshole. Yet you saw through it.”

“Rhett, I love you too. Shit, I'm so tired. Can we unpack my car later?”

“Yeah baby,” Rhett replied. “I think we both deserve a nap.”

Clothes shed, Rhett held out his waiting arms for Link to climb into, right where he belonged. Sleep came easy to them, safe, warm and in love. Wrapped up in each other in the sheets of their shared bed.


	16. These Are Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Don't Forget to Check Out the BMOC Playlist on Spotify! ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1oVZ9QCJDXOff0BJwjI192?si=-9xFrE4RSImsi3CSP7VsIQ)🎶

**These Are Days**

_ These are the days you might fill with laughter until you break _

_ These days you might feel a shaft of light _

_ Make its way across your face _

_ And when you do you'll know how it was meant to be _

_ See the signs and know their meaning _

_ It's true _

_ You'll know how it was meant to be _

_ Hear the signs and know they're speaking to you, to you  _

_10_,000 Maniacs (1992)

  
  


_ **Los Angeles, CA 2019** _

Link heard Rhett’s booming voice from the practice gym before he even pushed the door open. He climbed the bleachers and sat at the top, watching as Rhett coached his team. Getting the opportunity to be head coach at UCLA was perfect for the former superstar. He had blown his back out in his fifth year in the NBA and had to find an alternative life path. Nothing seemed to suit him better than coaching college ball. Luckily, the pair were already based in Los Angeles because of Link's burgeoning film career, so it really was a no brainer. 

“Come on guys! Get it together! Got to get those damn rebounds,” Rhett yelled down the court. He caught a glimpse of Link sitting at the top of the bleachers and looked back to his team.

“Alright guys, bring it in. We’ll work on it tomorrow. Go home and study your playbooks. Good job today. Go grab a shower.” 

Rhett slapped the players on the back as they walked towards the swinging door of the locker room. Once the gym was empty, Rhett jogged across the court and climbed the bleachers two at a time before stopping in front of Link and leaning down to give him a kiss hello. 

“Hey baby, didn’t expect you to be here so early.” Rhett’s bushy beard tickled against Link’s lips. 

“Yeah, we finished editing quicker than we thought we would, so I decided I’d come watch my jock in action,” Link teased. 

It was just the two of them now, so Rhett knelt on the bleacher between Link’s knees and pressed into the smaller man’s space forcing him back against the cinderblock wall behind him. 

“Like the old days when you used to come watch me practice,” he whispered into Link’s ear and placed hot kisses along his jawline. Link wrapped his arms around Rhett’s shoulders. 

“Mmhmm. Still hot as ever in those basketball shorts.”

Link reached down and squeezed Rhett’s ass. Their kisses became fevered. Rhett’s hands found their way into the silver black hair cropped short on the back of Link’s head. 

“Slow down there, big guy. You’re going to get yourself a situation in those shorts,” Link teased.

Rhett leaned back and took a deep breath. “You’re right about that; already got something going on.”

He reached down and squeezed himself to give Link a show through the silky blue fabric. Link felt the hot heat of need in his veins. Rhett adjusted himself so it was less obvious. 

“More of that later. Unfortunately, we don’t have time now.” He held his hand out. “Come on, the kids asked us to stop by the center.” 

Being one of the first openly gay basketball stars hadn’t been easy, but there were some perks. One of those was getting to be the faculty sponsor of the LGBTQ Campus Resource Center. Rhett had taken the kids who hung out there and those who led the organization under his wing. He cared for them like the children he and Link had always wanted, but never had. 

Rhett and Link walked across campus hand in hand. Link was happy to be able to take this for granted now; for years they had to be careful about showing affection in public. Those days were long behind them.

The center was a comfy place with overstuffed couches and vending machines on the back wall. There was a computer lab and a small library with bookshelves filled with LGBTQ books that were available for anyone to check out. A large bulletin board hung by the door. It was covered in flyers for services that this particular group of kids might need, as well as posters for drag shows and the typical “tear offs” for tutoring and guitar lessons.

As soon as Rhett walked in the door, he was welcomed by several students with an enthusiastic, “Hey Coach!” He made his way around the room taking time to touch base with each one of the kids. Link followed him and watched with pride as Rhett called out each student by name and listened to what they had to tell him with his full attention. Link knew that as much as Rhett loved coaching basketball, this was the role that gave him the most fulfillment.

As they walked further into the center, the pair were met by the student organizer. 

“Coach, the kids and I have something we want you two to see.” He led them to the right side of the large room. “We wanted to show you how much we appreciate everything you do for us, so we put our money together and had this made.” 

The young man flicked a light on. Rhett and Link stood in reverent silence. 

There on the far wall hung a framed movie poster from Link’s latest film. The documentary was about Rhett’s third year in the NBA when a tabloid had gotten pictures of him and Link kissing each other in the driveway of their house. That year became a storm of drama and controversy and after the season was finished Rhett decided to squash all the rumors and come out of the closet officially. He did a photo shoot wearing his Clippers jersey with a gay pride flag draped over his shoulders for the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. It hadn’t been easy. There was still talk from teammates and hate from some fans, but Rhett’s determination to stay the course and Link’s unwavering support had made it possible for him to get through the toughest times. The documentary had already won several smaller festival prizes for Link and there was Oscar buzz, but Link couldn’t let himself think about that or his anxiety would go through the roof.

The movie poster hanging on the wall was a re-creation of that Sports Illustrated cover with 40 year old Rhett in all his long haired, bushy bearded glory. Same Clippers jersey, same rainbow flag, but now it showed a man who came out on the other side, triumphant. 

Link read the little plaque that hung underneath it to a stunned Rhett. 

“This center is dedicated to our heroes, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, for making a way for us when there was none.” 

Link looked to Rhett who had tears streaming down his face. The students in the center stood and applauded as they watched their Coach wrap Link up in his arms and kiss the top of his head. 

Link whispered so only Rhett could hear, “They’re so proud of you, baby. You’re such an amazing role model for them.”

He placed a light kiss on Rhett’s lips. 

“I’d be nothin’ without you to inspire me to greatness,” Rhett said as he held Link’s face in his large hands. 

The young man stepped forward again and handed Link a sharpie. 

“Will you guys sign it for us?” he asked.

“Of course! We’d be happy to!” 

The pair autographed the poster and made their way out of the center to head home, hand in hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for coming along with us for this blast from the past. I had so much fun working with fanbabble on this. Our baby is all grown up 😭 - mythicaliz
> 
> This experience has been so rewarding. Thank you to Liz for being such a fantastic partner and being open to communication throughout the process and thanks to everyone who told us how much they love this fic. Your encouragement means everything. Hugs! - FanBabble


End file.
